Chengannur Mahadevar Temple
Location : Chengannur
About The Temple :
Chengannur Mahadevar Temple 1/2 km northeast of MC road and 1/2 km eastern side road from railway over bridge. one of the major temples having golden flag staff. 28 days festival last 10 days are celebrated with great pomp. Makaram Thiruvathira Aarattu. Sivan facing east and Sree Parvathy facing west in the round Sreekovil. ” It is still a mystery and wonder of wonders that the pancha loha vigraha gets her periods, which is rare in the annals of history of temples. The periods of the Goddess is locally known as thripoothu and the festival as thrippootharaattu. Being a rare phenomenon its details are briefly described. In ancient days this used to occur every month buy now a days it occurs three to four times in a year.
every day morning the nirmaalyam ( previous days flowers worn by the Godess ) and white utayaata ( cloth) are handed over by the priest to Varrier attendant without looking at it. The vaarier examines the dress closely and if there is any discolouration it is send for etailed examination to the Lady heads ( antharjanams) of Vanjipuzha and Thaazhamon families for confirmation. ( of late it is sent to the family of Thaazhamon Thanthri only ) when it is confirmed the discoloured cloth is brought back, washed by a mannathi ( washer woman) and kept under sage custody.
Thereafter the archana- vigraha and the same is removed to the special room at the north west corner of the naalambalam and the sreekovil of the Goddess is kept closed till the fourth day. Only one pooja is done in a day in the temporary shrine. It is significant to note that two lady attendants or confidantes ( belonging to two families ) have to sit by the side of the archana vigraha for day and night on all three days. on the fourth day Devi is taken on the back of a caparisoned elephant ( according to tradition on a female elephant) in procession to the aaraat katav ( Mithrapuzha ghat) of Pampa river for a holy bath. At the Aaraat katav, pooja is done for the peetham as well as for the waters of pamba.
Then abhisheka of the idol is done with ghee followed by gingerly oil and cleaned with eencha. Then the Thanthri does abhisheka of the idol with turmeric powder and again immerses it in water. Then new clothes brought by the washer woman are put on the bimba and then taken back in procession with the accompaniments of naadaswaram ( wind instrument) panchavaadyam, thaalapoli etc. at the aaraat katav and also on the way nira para is offered by the devotees. On arrival at the aanakottil of the temple, the balivigraha of lord siva is taken out on a tuskers back and both of them together take three pradakshinas and enter the Sreekovil through their respective entrances. It is followed by kalabhaabhishekam for Siva. The archana bimba of ‘Devi is then placed by the side of the original idol of devi and the power is invoked back into the original idol, followed by Kalabhaabhishekam and raktha pushpaanjali, for the next twelve days raktha pushpaanjali is the only vazhipaat in the temple. The discoloured utayaata ( cloth) is treasured as a holy relic and is available for sale ( rs 501).
There is always a large queue for its booking. the expenditure for the first thrippoothaaraat of the malayalam year is met from the endowments given to the temple by Col. Munro, ( the resident diwan of travancore) as an atonment to his disbelief and thoughtless action in disallowing the expenditure which was previously followed.
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