Legend
The Namboodiri like Bhattathiri had to study the scriptures and elaborate rituals and only la very intelligent man could do that. Most of them were excellent scholars and great Yajurveda exponents flourished in the Peruvanam settlement, for more than two thousand years. They had to be outstanding since their personal God was Sastha.
But
Vasudevan was such a dullard that he could not pronounce even his name
properly Instead of the abbreviated version of Vasu, the best that he could
do was Vathu and the name stuck because the people ridiculed him by
addressing him thus. He
certainly could not hope to study the rituals of the temple.
His hearbroken mother, aware that no physician could help, made him
visit the temple every day; Pray to Lord Sastha before having food that was
the immutable discipline. She was very strict and he had to visit the temple
or go hungry. That was one rule
he could understand and even appreciate since he loved food. As he grew up, he enjoyed his daily visits to the temple, as
prayer was the prelude to the gorging joys.
Undoubtedly. Lord Sastha
was very lovable!
Thiruvullakkavu
Sastha has to be the god of wisdom because the only way to save his children
is by making them wise ignorance is the cause of all maladies.
Bhattathiri's friends, or the society, kept him in the waves.
Frightening nature, the dark illusory world with fierce animal
desires and thorns barred his way. Fierce
determination alone took him to kavu. The
journey to the temple, to God, Was not easy.
Perhaps, fear had too a part in the drama since it made him move
faster towards God. There, he
ate the succulent, sweet smelling kaladi, the fruit of wisdom.
But a man need not know rituals and prayers like priest and eat the
fruits of knowledge. Even an
ordinary servant of God who eats peelings becomes wise.
The brilliantly it sanctum is open even during the darkest hour of
life, or especially then. Only,
a man has to be aware of it. The blessed man sits near the ritual fire, the
adobe of all Gods enjoying the warmth and golden light. Then he sings the
hymns of bliss. God manifests
Himself as sound.
Legend claims that the temple of Thiruvullakkavu is as old as civilization itself. For centuries, the divine glow here attracted savants who performed austerities here. Perhaps, there was a long interlude when it remained forgotten, in the midst of an impenetrable forest. Till Sastha manifested Himself again. Even afterwards the place remained a forest; till recently. Kavu was a subsidiary temple of Peruvanam, the settlement temple. Vilwamamglam swamiar, the Godman, who visited the temple of Peruvanam, saw Siva holding Sastha in His right hand. That is why Kavu has another name, Thiruvullakkayyoor.
In
ancient time, Chittoor, Avanavu and Kuruvattavanavu Namboodiripads ruled the
peruvanam temple as the Uralans, hereditary administrators.
Formerly lit was a single family but the names.
The village had a loose democratic set up and all the families of the
settlement had some power over it. Thiruvullakkavu,
being a subsidiary temple, the Uralian’s managed that also.
Temple administration virtually meant the complete control of the
whole region since it l was the nerve century in the material sense also.
The Maharaja of Cochin and the Zamorin Calicut knew it well and
fought to become the overlord. Ultimately
the Maharaja of Cochin was able to keep the others away.
He took to himself the powers of the uralans and the Namboodiris of
Peruvanam lost al their powers, which created a big problem. They needed a
temple where they could perform austerities. They begged the Maharaja to
give the Thiruvullakkavu temple back to them since the deity was their
Paradevatha. For all its
wonderful effulgence, Kavu owned no property and the maharaja did not mind
that generosity. As the sole
representative of the settlement, Chittoor Namboodiripad received the temple
back from the Maharaja and became the hereditary administrator.
Now the Namboodiris could live there land chant Yajurveda as they
would.
Times changed and in the late seventies the local devotees set up a special Committee to facilitate the administration. The temple developed very quickly and the member of devotees visiting the temple increased by thousands. Under the present, very efficient, management this rather small and plain temple has become a superb centre for devotees seeking refuge from worldly trails.
Most
of the ancient temple, especially, the settlement temples, were massive and
well constructed life a fort. Peruvanam
too was magnificent. Thiruvullakkavu was not.
It used to be insignificant in the physical sense. Instead of large
and beautiful idols , it has three small granite, projections, barely
visible above the ground. Elsewhere,
the idols stand roundly on pedestals, smiling at the pilgrims.
Here, the icon is in granite lined.
Square hole! He is
Swayamboo’ Self-manifest. Usually
the chief priests consecrate the deities in the idols through elaborate
rites. Thiruvullakkavu was
different, the effulgence of? Sastha become revealed line the icon eve
without rituals to invoke Him. Wind,
rain; and sunshine beat done on it, till Mazhamangalam covered the sanctum.
Now it has a very strong roof. Scholars
filled up the space around the icon with sand energlised with the Veda is
that the so that sanctum has a double effulgence that of Sastha and the;
scriptures. Recently, the
management built two magnificent Nadapuras, porches to cover the western and
the eastern courtyards. Also, a
fine Gopuram, gateway, in the front. They have made; it a fitting palace for the effervescent
effulgence within.
The astrologers who conducted diving rites at Kavu proclaimed that Shasta’s effulgence is not limited to the temple or the immediate neighborhood. It pervades the whole of Central Kerala. This is an unusual concept; in most temples, the Chief priest invokes the begins brilliance within the temple only. Not Sastha of Thiruvullakkavu ; he is the dine brintrust of the whole area and rides everywhere.
But
Sastha has very limited participation only in the extraordinary summer
festival of Central Karla. The deities of the settlement lead glittering
processions here and there dueling the nine days long extravaganza.
The climatic shows are at Peruvanam and Arattupuzha where one hundred
and eight deities had color full processions.
This festival of unmated dazzle is actually a truncated version of an
earlier, two thousand year old festival of unimaginable splendour!
Sastha’s part in the older version is known but that of the new one is very limited. The devotees erect two well decorated flagpoles on the western and northern sides with all pomp and ceremony and later several deities visit the temple to pay homage here. After the Arattupuzha Pooram, an elephant is sent from the Chathakkudam temple to bring Sastha’s idol to Chathakkudam where the deity is another manifestation of Thiruvullakkavu Sastha. New the iido9ls of the two deities ride the same elephant and go round part of the settlement to bless the people. This is highly unusual because all deities go on processions on their known separate elephant. The next day the deities have a small procession called Pakallppooram and then Thiruvullakkavu Sastha returns to His own temple.
Out wordy, Sastha might not have an active role in the summer festival! But spiritually. He is the controlling force. Being the Grama Paradevatha. He has to do lit. The concept of a deity guiding the settlement is truly sublime. A child is carefree when it holds on to its father’s hand and skips happily without any fear of pit falls. But its hold is weak and might break easily. When the father holds it’ the confidence is greater. God saves the devotees who come to the temple. The Grama deities, on the other hand are such tender Fathers that they hold their children whether they beg for that reassurance or not. If the strong hands of a father fold his boy to the warmth of his populating heart, the boy knows what true bliss is. Thiruvullakkavu Sastha is like that His heartbeats make the devotes wise, whisper what divine Love is. Often, the Stern, looking Father plays with them, as the legend of the elephant showed. But the devotees usually parlay Siva. Promptly, He rides out of His sanctum when danger threatens his devotees. Endoplasm Namboodiri had such an Experience.
