Ayilur Akhileswaran (Shiva) and Sri Krishna temples

Ayilur  Akhileswaran (Shiva)  and  Sri  Krishna temples

 

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

 

   Ayilur  also called  as Ayalur or ayiloor by some people  is a village  in Palakkad  district of Kerala  . It is referred as Nemmara  Ayilur , because, the nearest  small town is Nemmara   and the high way passes only through  Nemmara .Before 1947   it was in Cochin   state  .It is 30 km   from  Palakkad town and is 4 km from Nemmara and is on the shores  of Ayilur  Puzha. There  is a very big Shiva  temple  in this village   and  the God is called Akhileswaran (The God of  all people) . Many people   claim  it is very old , some say  even thousand years o;ld.There is a theory  that  this  area was thickly populated by  Akhil (cup-calyxed white cedar) trees and so the God   was called   Akhileswaran and  that the original name  of the village was Akhileswara puram, which got modified in to Akhiloor  and later to ayilur or ayalur 

    There is a legend prevailing that    the  prathishta   was done by Kharasura, who  at the same  time   did prathishta  of  Thrippalur and  Pallavur temples also ( He is also supposed to have made  Prathishta of Vaikkom , Kaduthuruthy, Ethumannor).

       It seems this temple   was owned  by Kodakara  Nair and  his commander Kulangaattu nair  was managing the temple.Later  it seems the temple came under control  of  some Nambudiri families   and at present it has been taken over  by Cochin devaswam  board.

         There are  upadevathas  of  Ganapathi  ,  Subrahmanyan   and ayyappan in side the temple on the south west  Also there is a Chandikeswara  prathishta  .There  is a nandikeswara  which is not in the front  of Lord Shiva but  to  the south of   the sreekovil( Sanctum)  facing east  On the right side  of Nandikeswaran along   the pradakshina path are  located the saptha mathrukas

     There is a belief that that  our worship is accepted by   Lord Shiva  doing thapas  and he is  accompanied  by   Gioddess Parvathi . On the southern  wall facing east there is a prathishta of lOrd Shiva  wth Goddess Parvathi .and a lamp is  lit before her.  Near Nandikeswara there are carving of Saptha mathrukas    as well as Dakshinamurthy.

   Like most of the Shiva temples there  is only half pradakshinam   in this temple also .Pradosham is celebrated  with pooja and  abishekam  to the Nandi , possibly  it might  have  been started  by  Tamil  speaking Brahmins  of the village

        There is a Ratham(Theru)  on Thiruvathira   day (dhanu masam)  . This is was possibly arranged  by the   tamil Brahmins   who have  settled there because  kerala  the custom is to have a sriveli

        The aarattu Grama Chaitanya Ratholsavam is conducted on Karuthavaau(new moon day)  in the Malayalam month of thulaam. The festival is conducted by Kulangattu Nair and aarattu is conducted in the Ayiloor river. Near the river side wher Aarattu festival is conducted ( aarattu kadavu) thers is a banyan tree , a temple and a pratishta of lord Ganesha.

 Ayiloor ratholsavam or car festival is conducted in Malayalam month of Dhanu (Thiruvathira star-on arudra  darsanam day).

Ratholsavam is celebrated for three days. First day Udayasthamana Pooja is performed to Lord Parthasarathy, second day Udayasthamana Pooja to Lord Akhileswara followed by in the night Makeera Vilakku and third day is Ratholsavam (Thiruvathira) day. Most of the people who have left Ayalur  assemble  to have dharshan of their Gods (Grama Devathai) and also to meet their old friends.

Procession by five caparisoned  elephants with Panchari Melam,Pandi Melam,Panchavadhyam, Thayambaka and special programs like Kathakali, Music etc. are held on this   important on this day apart from Radham Ezhunnallippu. On Thiruvathira day, Arudhra Dharisanam is an important one. Poornabhishekam to Lord Akhileswara starts early morning at 3.00 am and concludes at 7.00 am with japam viz. Mahanyasam, Rudram, Chamakam, Suktham etc. Arudhra Dharisanam (Jothi Dharisanam-Maha Deeparadhana) will be around 5.30 a.m. Since the chariot is very big   they take the help of elephants to push it . Some experts help to turn the chariot  in corners  by keeping  Chenni (A huge piece of wood with handle)  At present this festival is conducting by Ayalur Grama Janam. This festival shows tamil-malayalam culture

The Krishnan (Partha  Sarathy)  temple, which was built by the Iyers  , more than  100 years back, was built in the same compound as the Siva Temple , to its left . There is an interesting story of exchange of idols that is told even today. It seems the idols for the Nemmara Krishnan temple (Parthasarathy) and Ayalore Krishnan(navaneetha Krishnan)  temple were made by the same Sculpture. But there was a mix up while delivering and the Parthasarathy reached Ayalore instead of Navaneetha Krishnan and they decided to install it in their temple. The Pooja for the Krishnan temple is by Kerala Iyers. Navarathri is celebrated in this temple. With great pomp  The Lamp around the temple will be  lit by iyers from a particular street every day of the Navarathri and the streets also got the name from this practice. Onnam Vilakku Theru (First lamp street) and so on till Eighth Lamp Street. .Unlike distributing  Prasadam  at the temple  , People   with prasadam   go to each street . It is called as Panku ie share by them

There was a custom of consecrating bulls to the Siva Temple earlier. These bulls used to majestically roam round the village. But this has now been discontinued.

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Qzkd24byQ

 

The timings

 

A,.Shiva Temple 

 

Open. Morning. 5.30am

Close 9.00am

 

Open Evening. 5.30 pm

Close. 7.15pm.

 

B.Parthasarathy Temple 

 

Open Morning. 5am

Close. 9am

 

Open Evening. 5pm

Close. 7.15pm

 

Buses   run from Palghat and Trichur  to Ayilur  .

Sri  APS  Mani  who is   from Ayilur  has commented

Good narration. Suva temple is more than 1000 years and Parthasarathy temple 500 years old. Earlier the roof of the temple was with palm leaf instead tiles. After a fire incident, roof was replaced with Thrissivaperur tiles along with the construction of reading room in thalavattampara. Ganapathy Ranaswzmy Iyer was the representative of Cochin Maharaja at that time when the roof was replaced. After namboodiris, the temple was under the control of Cichin Maharaja.Sanscrit scholars also occupied in zmaharaja's Veda Sadas. My Great Great grandfather Subramania Vadyar was titled as Tharka Siromani by Maharaja of Cochin after winning the Sancrit comprtiyion. Maharaja appointed hin as Grana Vadhyar of Ayalur and in charge of all vaideeka rituals during ratholsavam in Akhileswaea temple. Those days were golden period.Ayalur Parameswaran Subramanian.