Kaikkakom Chamundi temple , Trivandrum

Kaikkakom  Chamundi  temple  , Trivandrum

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

(many of you go to Trivandrum.Please do not miss this great temple  .Acknowledgent to Wikipedia about the temple and a tamil post in face book by Sri vasu Iyengar)

   This is a temple dedicated   to the fierce   form Of Goddess  Bhagawathi called  Chamundi  in Trivandrum and is about 7 km away  Padmanabhaswamy temple in the north western direction   The place is called Karikkakom and the goddess “ Karikakathu  Amma” .This temple it seems was built  by a later  chera king called   “anusham, THirunal  Rama Varma Raja” 

Story of the temple

One Vedic pundit had a disciple called  Yogeeswara   who like his Guru was worshipping the Goddess  CHamundi. One day the goddess  appeared  before him as a little girl  .Yogeeswara and his Guru brought the girl to this place , built a leaf thatched shed  and made her stay there, Then the girl appeared before them as Goddess  and told   them she will be forever   staying there . Yogeeswara got a statue made   and consecrated it there  ,

The temple

  In this temple the Goddess  appears in three  forms   viz  Raktha Chamundi devi  ,Bala CHamundi devi   and Maha Chamundi and  in the temples of Raktha Chamundi and Bala Chamundi there  are  no statues  consecrated but  there are pictures v  of Goddes s drawn on the wall  .

Maha Chamundi temple

    It seems in the temple of Maha Chamundi devi  , there was a statue made of silver and consecrated  on a deer horn  stage .Later  the devotees  got a pancha loha Idol made and  got it consecrated here  .,

 (21st march 1997)

  There are temples for Sastha  , Ganapathi  , Yakshiyamma  , BHuvaneswari  Ayiravalli and Yogeswara in the same compound besides a Nagar Kavu .There is also an old house called Guru Mandiram, the house of Yogeswara’s Guru al rituals

Worship in the temple

  In the morning after  nirmalya darsanam   there  is a panchamritha   Abhisherkam to the goddess  and  after wards   she would  be  offered Kadum Payasam (Very concentrated  Jaggery  Payasam) .The  offerings  Of pal payasam  and Panchamritham are also made.There  are also the following special rituals

Bali Sadhya

This ritual takes place in the month of Karkatakam on the Karthika day. On this day inside the temple special poojas are performed for the Guru and Mantramoorthi. Brahmins are given food and dress. After this ceremony devotees are given Bali Sadhya. This is a very old custom of the temple, which is followed even today.

Nirayum Puthiriyum

The paddy taken from the land belonging to the temple is first offered to the Devi.

Uthrada Taneerkuda

This is another important festival conducted during the month of Chingam on Uthradam day. This is a very ancient and important pooja.

Kodi Charthu

This is a ritual conducted in the month of Chingam on Thiruvonam day after the Nirmalya Darshanam. The devotees offer the Devi yellow dress during the festival.

Ayilyam Ootu

The temple performs poojs for the Nagas on the ayilyam day in the month of Makaram. This is known as Vallya Ayilyam. From ancient times this pooja is performed for propitiating the Nagas and removing Naga Dosha.

Raktha Chamundi and  Bala  Chamundi

  IN the Raktha Chamundi temple  (where Goddess is in the form of a drawing) People accused of anything   , if they deny it ,are asked to  take an oath before the goddess .People are scared and tell the truth

  It seems  once upon a time the queen lost her costly ear rings ,They suspected a security guard   and imprisoned him .The lover of the guard came and told the king that she has stolen it.Hearing that  the guard told that it was not true and he was  the thief.Both of them were taken to the temple of the Raktha Chamundi  ,Both of them took bath in the temple pond   and brought to the temple ,Then the washer woman of queen cloths rushed there with the ear rings and told every one, that she found them in the queen’s cloths .The gurad and his lover were set free .The Queen presented the   ear rings to the goddess

Bala Chamundi temple

   Here the  Chamundi is drawn in a vey peaceful form

Festivals

1.poNGALA IN Meenam month for seven days

2.Mandala Vratham - Festival in connection with the annual Utsavam of Sabarimala

3.Vinayaka Chathurthi - Pooja to the Lord Ganapathy

4.Pooja Vaypu - Identical to Dussera festival (Saraswathy Pooja and Vidyarambham)

5.Sivarathri - Siva Pooja

6.Karthika - Karthika Deepam

7.Ayilya Pooja - Milk, flowers etc. offered to serpent God and special rites

8.Aiswarya Pooja - On all full moon (Pournami) days

9.Shasta Pratishta Dinam - Every year in the month of Makaram on the Rohini day Shasta Pratishta Dinam is celebrated in the temple.

10.Vishu Kani - On the first day of the month of Medam people come here for the Vishukani Darshanam.

 The temple would be open from 5 Am to 12 noon   and 4.30 Pm to 8.30 PM

The contact particulars of the temple

Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Temple,
Karikkakom, Beach PO,
Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala,Postal Code - 695007 India

Phone

  0471 2500989 (Temple) 2507671 (Office)

E mail

  karikkakomdevitemple@gmail.com

Transportation

Karikkakom is just 7 km from Thiruvananthapuram city. The nearest airport is TRivandrim   air port.The nearest railway station is Trivandrum Central Railway Station and the nearest bus station is Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station.

Those who travel via Kollam on reaching Kazhakoottam  junction should take the straight road via World Market junction and from there take the right turn via Vazhavila to the temple. Those who take the M.C. Road should come through Kesavadaspuram via Palayam, Peta, Chakka bypass. Those coming from Neyyattinkara, via East Fort, Enchakkal junction can reach the temple using the bypass road. The temple can also be reached via Chakka Attuvarambu road.

PUTHEN SABARIMALA

PUTHEN SABARIMALA

By

Ram Mohan  Bala

Puthen Sabarimala literally means new Sabarimala. The temple Puthen Sabarimala is situated in Thadiyoor under Ayroor Panchayath in Pathanamthitta Dist. Thadiyoor is around 9kms away from the temple town of Thiruvalla and 5kms away from Ranni.
When one hears the name of the temple one will initially come under the impression that it is the newer carbon copy of Sabarimala temple, but it is far from that. Since it was last renovated in 1999, it was called Puthen Sabarimala, and there ends the newness of the word associated with the temple.
Puthen Sabarimala shrine is a carbon copy of Sabarimala temple in nearly all respects. Its rituals, rules and regulations, particularly the opening and closing dates are similar to Sabarimala Temple. The temple has a granite pathinettampadi finished in 'Krishna Shila' which can be ascended only with 41 days vritham and irumudi. Although it bears a striking similarity to Sabarimala temple in most aspects, it is strikingly different from Sabarimala in one aspect. Ladies of all ages are allowed entry especially through the northern gates if they cannot observe the mandatory 41 days vritham and ascend the pathinettampadi. All those devotees who have observed vritham for a lower number of days than the mandatory 41, are allowed Ayyappa darshan via the northern gates. During Makaravilakku, the symbolic makara jyoti is lit here also. Neiabhishekam is the most important offering and Aravana and Appam are the most important prasadams.
The temple is shrouded in antiquity. It is aleast 900 odd years old dating back to the time of Manikanda Muthayyan who lived sometime in the 12th century AD. Manikanda Muthayyan is none other than Sree Manikandan, and, a dustinction is to be made between Sree Manikandan and Sree Ariyan Keralan, whom we refer to as Ayyappan. To the discerning leader it is reminded that Manikandan is considered as the first avatharam of Shasta and Ariyan Keralan who lived during the 17th century is considered as the last avatharam of Dharmashasta.
The legend behind the temple is even more interesting.
At one point of time, the area where the present temple stands was part of dense forests, where hermitages of rishis existed. The story of Manikandan going in search of tigress' milk is legendary. During the course of His trek into the forests, Manikandan happened to reach the place where the present temple stands. Since it was was already dusk, and the Lord was tired He opted to stay in one of the hermitages.Soon after the Lord got darshan of Lord Shiva, who advised Him as to what was to be done.Later due to the grace and blessings of Lord Shiva Manikandan was able to successfully execute the almost impossible task undertaken by Him.The Rishis of the place realising the greatness of Manikanda Perumal built a temple at the spot where Lord Shiva gave darshanam to Manikandan, and this is the temple which we call Puthen Sabarimala.Initially padukas of Manikandan were consecrated inside the sanctum for worship.Years later this temple was gutted in a devastating fire, and another one was built in its place.Later with not many going for
worship this temple too fell into disuse and was later reduced to ruins.However this temple gained prominence in the 1940's with worshippers slowly making their way into the dilapidated temple.Finally the temple which came under the Travancore Devaswom Board was renovated with full participation of the bhaktas and cooperation from the Board, and in 1999 punapratishta to this age old shrine was done.The tantris of the temple are from Thazhamon Madom.