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Taliparamba Rajarajeswara Temple (തളിപറമ്പ രാജരജെസ്വര കോവില്‍) Taliparamba, Kannur

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Taliparamba Rajarajeswara Temple

LOcation : Taliparamba, Kannur

About The Temple :

This very ancient shrine is located in a quiet and picturesque region of Taliparamba in Kannur district of . North Kerala. On the National Highway 17, Taliparamba is 23 kIns northeast of kannur town, the headquarters of the district. The place is located about 83 kIns south of Kasaragod town and about 133 kms south of Mangalore, the southern city of Karnataka State. The nearest railway stations are in Kannur and Payyanur (23 kIns towards the north). Lord Siva worshipped in this sacred temple is known as Sree Rajarajeswara, which means the Emperor of Emperors – the Lord supreme. The name signifies the supreme transcendental power in the background of the mysterious drama of the boundless universe. That power is invoked here as Lord Rajarajeswara. Devotees address the Lord with such royal appellations as Perumthrikkovilappan, Perum-chelloorappan and Thampuraan Perumthrikkovilappan. The Jyothirlingam in the shrine is vibrant with spiritual power that exerts an enriching influence both on the material and spiritual levels of the earnest devotees. The celebrated ancient sage Agasthya Maharshi is associated with the installation of the Jyothirlingam in the shrine. A major legend about this temple begins with the visit of the Puranic sage Parashurama, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Seeing there an ancient shrine of vibrant spiritual power in a dilapidated condition, the sage was grief-stricken and wanted to know its history. Thereupon, sage Narada appeared there and related to him the story of the temple. According to it, sage Sankara and others, the of the Creator Lord Brahma, churned the disk of the Sun to lessen its fierce heat. They mixed the dust, which was fonned while churning, with the divine nectar of immorality, Amrita, and out of it gave shape to three spiritually splendrous Shivalingams. Theypresented the shivalingas to Lord Brahma who worshipped them for a long time. Thereafter, Lord Brahma presented them to Goddess Parvathi, the consort of Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvathi presented these Shivalingams to three kings who were doing intense austerities to invoke the Goddess, one in the Thretha Yugam anq the other two in Dwapara Yugam. Maandhatha was the king to whom the Goddess presented the Shivalingam in the Thretha Yugam, and Muchukundan and Shathasoman were the devotees who rece~ved the other two Lingams in the Dwapara Yugam. Goddess Parvathi advised each of them to install the idols in such a place where no death of any creature had taken place or any dead body had fallen. After a long search for such a place, which was very difficult to locate, Maandhatha, the first one to receive the Lingaro found out a small place of that description, only that much land which could accommodate a small plate. Thalika in Malayalam means a plate. It is said that the region came to be known as Taliparamba, which means the place enough to accommodate a Thalika, after this legend. Maandhatha installed his Shivalingam at this place.
Eventually this Jyothirlingam disappeared in the earth, maintaining the place spiritually vibrant for ever. Thretha Yugam was over. Then, in Dwapara Yugam king Muchukundan after receiving the second Jyothirlingam from Goddess Parvathi as instructed, was also in search of a spot where no death had taken place and naturally he also came to the same spot where Maandhatha had installed the first Shivalingam. He installed his Shivalingam at the same spot. This Shivalingam was also eventually dissolved into the earth again reinforcing the spot spiritually. Then came king Shathasoman, the one who received the third Shivalingam. He was also naturally attracted to the same spot and installed his Shivalingam there. While installing, this Lingam also began sinking into the earth. King Shathasoman thereupon prayed for Sage Agasthya’s help. The sage appeared and after lighting a ghee lamp prostrated before the Shivalingam twelve times and when he just begun the thirteenth prostration, the Lingam got fIrmly fixed on the earth. Therefore the number of the prostrations sage Agasthya performed for this purpose came to be known as twelve and a half. Thus with the installation of the third Shivalingam the sacred spot became spiritually vibrant threefold. Hearing this story from Sage Narada, devotion welled up in the heart of Sage Parashurama and he decided to renovate the temple for the welfare of mankind.
As desired by the sage, the celestial architect Sri Vishwakarma himself performed the renovation works. During the final stage of the renovation, Sage Agasthya himself appeared on the scene and after making Abhishekam (ablusion) on the idol, lighted a ghee lamp. This lamp shines continuously ever since, with the regular supply of ghee. Offering of ghee in gold, silver and copper pic tures with intense devotion is an important offering for the Lord. Sree Rajarajesware temple is located in the centre of a very spacious compound of about six acres surrounded by a compound wall with two Gopurams, located on the eastern and western sides. The sanctum sanctorum with its majestic proportions is a fine example of the temple architectural style of Kerala. The two-tiered sanctum sanctorum is rectangular in shape and has four doors, one on each side. On the west side of the sanctum sanctorum is the seat of Divine Mother Parvathi, the consort of Lord Shiva. The door here is permanently closed.
The Traditional Way of Vzsiting the Temple – According to the traditional system of visiting this temple the devotee first worships Lord Krishna at the shrine of Vasudevapuram located at the southern bank of the vast temple tank known as Aashraamath-chira. Worship of Lord Krishna before entering the great temple of Lord shiva symbolizes the essential unity of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva as two aspects of the Supreme Reality. Then proceeding towards Sree Rajarajeswara temple one worships at the shrine of Sree Bhoothanatha (Kumbhodhara), who is the chief lieutenant of Lord Shiva. The temple of Sri Vaidyanatha at Kanhirangad and the temple of Lord Krishna at Trichambaram are closely related to Sree Rajarajeswara temple. These three renowned temples are administered by the TaliparambaTrichambaram-Kanhirangad Devaswam, commonly known as the TIK Devaswam. The work of Eastern Gopuram (gate) is progressing in the Taliparamba temple and the estimate is 1,35,00,0001- The devotees are expected to participate in the construction with financial support. A guest house with modem facilities at low cost is ready for devotees in the temple premise, Ph : 0460 2206929.

Sree Rajarajeswara Temple, Taliparamba, Kannur, Kerala – 670 141, Ph: 0460203457.

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