Maruthoor vattam Dhanvanthari temple

Maruthor Vattom
By
P.R.Ramachander
Maruthor vattom is a village in between Aleppey and Cherthala Towns of Kerala.
Dhanwanthari who is believed to be an avataram(incarnation ) of Lord Vishu, who
came out of the ocean of milk, when Gods and Asuras churned the ocean is consecrated
here. It is believed that this temple is at least 500 years old. There is also one more
Dhanwanthari temple in Kerala in Ellijay , a village near Gruver
It seems there was a Thampan in this village who was suffering from a very severe
stomach ache. He went to the temple at Viacom and as soon as he entered the temple his
stomach ache was cured. But as soon as he came out, it started again. Thampan prayed
Vaikathappan. That day in hid dream Vaikathappan came and told him,”Your stomach
ache will not be there as long as you are in my temple. It would reappear as soon as you
leave this temple. To get it cured permanently, we have to go to the pond called Kelam
near Cherthalai. If you go inside the pond you will get three statutes .Please leave the first
statue there it self and take the second statue , which would be that of God Dhanwanthari
to a Brahmin. You will again get another statue of Mahavishnu. Take it home and do
pooja."
The Thampan did as told by God. He gave the Dhanwanthari statue to a Brahmin
belonging to Velladu Mana. He consecrated the third statue in Adhithya puram near his
house .The Velladu Namboodiri was worshipping the Dhanwanthari statue in his house
itself. Later with the help of Cheerataaman Moosu, he built a temple for Dhanwanthari at
Maruthor vattom. Unfortunately the Vellattu Namboodiri and the Moosu had a fight. In
the fight the hand of the Dhanwanthari statue broke. Moosu took the broken arm and
consecrated it in Olacha in Kottayam. In Maruthor Vattom, the Namboodiri made a hand
in silver and attached to the God. Even today this God is worshipped in Maruthor
Vattom. The God faces west. The God has a golden pot in his right hand .All medicines
of the temple are first kept in this pot and then given to the devotee .In his left hand made
of silver he keeps an Attai (blood sucking leech)
In the month of Thulam (October November) on the Krishna Paksha dwadasi day, the
birth day of Dhanwanthari is celebrated in this temple. Many people come to worship
their Pithrus (manes) on that day to this temple. On that day Thaal Kari (a vegetable
preparation involving Colacasia stem-which normally causes itching) is given as
Prasadam .But the Prasadam does not cause itching. This is also prepared on the
Amavasya of the same month. This is considered as a great medicine and people from far
and near flock the temple to get this medicine.
In the month of Mesha (April-May) on Uthra Nakashtram, the foundation day of this
temple is celebrated. The thiruonam of the same month is celebrated as Arattu. They have
a ceremony called "kayethal Vanam" on this day, which is supposed to be a cure for
Asthma. To get children, people arrange for "Santhana Gopalam" Kathakali in this
temple. For rheumatic disorders the temple distributes a medicine called "attayum
Kuzhambum". Similarly they also prepare a medicine called Mukkudi which is a mixture
of 24 drugs for curing stomach ache.These two medicines are given only in the first
thursday of every malayalam month. You have register early at this temple to get these
medicines. It is also believed that covering the idol fully with butter or sandalwood paste
and eating the butter cures all diseases.
Several peculiar worships like Adima, Thazhichu Koda ,Nagaraja Pooja etc are offered
at this temple.