Ettumanur temple is also very old and famous and is always thronged by devotees. Like Vaikathappan, Siva here is known as Ettumanurappan. This temple is at a distance of about 15 Kms. from Vaikom. This Siva temple was built in 16 th century. The conical tower above the sanctum is copper plated and looks stunning. This temple has exquisite mural paintings from Ramayana, Bhagavatha and Siva's cosmic dance. The deity here faces the West.
The dwajasthambha is very tall and gold plated. It is a real visual treat to watch this gleaming dwaja with a Nandi atop and small bells hanging below. There is metal lamp called Valiavilakku inside the temple and pilgrims keep offering oil and this lamp is kept burning through out day and night. It is believed that Siva himself lighted this lamp first. The soot from the lamp is believed to cure eye problems.
Offering Tulabharam is famous here. By Tulabharam, it means a devotee offering his worship, would contribute equivalent of his or her weight of banana/ sugar/ jaggery/ coins/ gold/ flowers etc.what ever they can afford in fulfillment of their wishes granted by the Lord.
There are other shrines dedicated to Bhagavathi, Ganapathy, Dharmasastha, Dakshinamoorthy and Yakshi. There is no idol for Parvathy here but still she is worshipped here on the Eastern side. The Ezharara Ponnana ,the golden elephants and golden umbrella are a great attraction which is unique to this temple and it is used on the last day of the annual festival here. During the festival days ,all four sides of the temple would be lit with thousands of oil lamps which is a very attractive sight to watch.
There is a Krishna's temple just outside the Siva temple facing east, also believed to have been installed by Khara the demon who brought the other Sivalingas of Vaikom, and Kaduthiruthy temples. Here Mahadeva(Siva) gives darshan to his devotees in three bhavas one as Aghora Moorthi, then as Santha swaroopi and third as Uma Maheshwaran.
How to reach
The temple is on Kochi -Kottayam highway. It is about 50 Kms. from Kochi and 12 kms. from Kottayam.
Accomodation - Very good hotels are available in Kottayam town.
Photos:
1 Entrance of temple -view from highway, 2. Nataraja 3. Mandapam in front of the temple 4West Gopuram. 5. Side view of the Gopuram.6. The main temple 7. Lamps on the side walls which are lit during festival.8 &;9 Dwajasthambha 10. Krishana temple outside.11. Lamps on the walls of the temple
53 comments:
That long row of boxes like thing in an endless wall what are they? It looks stunning.
The very question I was about to ask, Mridula, what are the box like things on the wall?
Very beautiful temple...
Mridula and Petty witter
They are the oil lamps which gets lit during the festival.In each square there will four lamps in which oil will be filled and wick immersed to light them. Oil consumption is pretty high and devotees will also sponsor for this as their contribution.Most of the temples in Kerala have these kind of lamp arrangements on the four walls.
Good post; the row of boxes are empty spaces between a wooden/brass covered structure that holds brass oil lamps lit during the evening/night puja ceremonies. All 4 outside walls of this inner perimeter is covered thus.
Sushma
Thank you. When you make a visit to Vaikom temple make one to this temple also.
?
You are right . The boxes hold the lights.Thanks.
How you did that photograph presentation I would like to know. Please e.mail if possible:
hobo(dot)he@yahoo(dot)com
Dear Chitra,
Good Evening!
You know what?I was at your blog and the same time I received your comment!:)
Beautiful photos and write up!
You are doing a wonderful job,dear!
Keep writing!
Wishing you a wonderful and lovely night,
Sasneham,
Anu
nice one, chitra... this is one temple i havent been to........
and Mridula and Petty writer... you should see the temple when the lamps are lit all over... its a wonderful sight... all kerala temples, in an out of kerala have this provision... so that people from all income groups can participate in the festival.. while some pay for just a lamp or two, some pay for the whole lot, and some can only give their time and energy and come to light the lamps..... it takes a lot of time and work!
Thanks for informing about this wonderful temple. Though I have been to Kottayam but never got an opportunity to visit this Siva temple. After reading your lovely post and seeing the beautiful pictures I will definitely visit this temple.
Thanks for the nice narration and wonderful pictures. Kerala temple architecture is unique and beautiful.
Hobo
Shall mail you the details. Thanks for visiting.
Anupama,
Nice you found time to visit my blog among your busy schedule. Thanks for the comment. Waiting for your mail on Goa.
Anu,
Good, you chipped with some more info. which would be useful for friends like Mridula and Petty Witter. This temple is as famous as Vaikom Only Kaduthuruthy , my next post is the lesser known among these 3 temples. Next time you may include all these in your itinerary.
Babli,
That would become a memorable trip for you .Thanks for the comment.
SG
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the wonderful info on the temple. Would love to visit sometime.
Ms.Chitchat
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for sharing. A typical temple of Kerala. The walls with lit oil lamps will make a great visual treat :-)
Insignia,
Thanks for the comment.
hai Chitra
Very nice photos...nice attempt also..
These lamps are known as 'Chuttuvilakku'. The special offering to lit the lamp around the temple is known as 'niramala vilakku veypu'. On that day temple outside will be decorated by pieces of garland made of local flowers and the all the lamps will be lit in the evening. It will cost more than 10,000.00!!! I don't know the actual cost but in Poornathrayeesha temple it costs Rs.10,000.00. Ettumanoor is bigger than thripunithura temple. Here Shiva is in the form of 'Aghoramoorthi'. 'Ezhara ponnana' is another speciality of this temple
Please check out my post on Ezhara ponnana
Aswathi
very nice and detailed discription...... ashamsakal......
Aswathi Babu
Good description.
I hope it would enlighten the readers. I am from Kerala and have stayed in Tripunithura for 7 years and was a frequent visitor to Poornathrayeesa temple. Thanks for visiting. I have written a post on Poornathrayeesa temple also.when you find time have a look.
Jayaraj
Thanks for the comment.
once again beautiful temple pic and information.
thanks
sm,
Thank you for the comment.
Very beautiful temple..would love to visit some day
nice pics and narration..thanks for the visit
Wow!! I have visited this temple. I think you do know that the paintings are Dravidian paintings and its one of the very very old temple.
You are doing a wonderful job documenting it for the rest of the world.
:)
Arti,
Thanks for the visit and the comment. Keep visiting.
Sorci,
Long time no see!!. Those paintings are Dravidian is news to me. I knew they are pretty old and had been done with natural dyes.
thanks for the info.
The pictures are so gracious, as gracious as the temple itself. I may not be able to visit all these temples (but I swear I would love to visit them all), but you bring me close to all these wonderful places with your pilgrimage tours, beautiful pictures and this wonderful travelogue.
I am particularly excited by two things -- the flag post and the lighting of the lamps in the evening. I would call the flag post a status symbol. The grander and taller they are the higher the status. :-) I remember my mother telling me that during the Car Festival a flag was indeed raised to invite the people of the village. It must have been so exciting! About lighting of the lamps, I have seen what a temple looks like when lighted only by those little, glittering oil lamps. It is a sight to behold. The temple looks simply heavenly. Why go the temple? During Deepavali, we light our house using these lamps. And boy! Is it a sight to behold for a long long time!
Lovely post again. Thanks for sharing. :-)
Vittal,
Fantastic comment as usual and again I am telling you I love the writer in you.
The flag is hoisted to let know the people in the neighbouring villages about the festival- your mom is right.
Light removes darkness and brings cheer to all,same is the case during diwali when we light the diyas in our house.
Our temples are socio-religious centres.An occasion to meet people, a great time to forget everything and just enjoy the rituals, decorations, the percussion treats and food
Last month I went to Venkatachalapathy temple,Kochi and I could meet all my relatives and lot of friends which doesn't happen during a family function.
take care and nice to know my friends are enjoying the visits to the temples, I take them to.
Another wonderful and informative post here. You are letting to have all the readers a feel of our traditional temples. Carry on with your visits and keep blogging. Your efforts on documenting these are surely going to help in the future.
A passionate traveller
Subu,
Thank you for the comment. These posts would help me also in future to relive the experience I had in various temples.
Your description brings the temple alive! I wonder why the icon of Parvati is not there if she is worshipped. Could it be because the icon was there but was lost somehow later?
Archana,
The idol of Parvati was never there, may be the devotees started worshipping her in that sankalpa ( belief)as they cannot think of Siva with out Sakthi. If we see many of the temples in Kerala some places would be earmarked for worshipping certain Gods sans the idol. It is believed that their presence is there.
I don't know any other reason , let me also try to find out. Thanks for igniting my curiosity.
nice post very interesting i like this clip
Knk
Thanks for the comment. Keep visiting.
Your posts on temples is really good and the pictures are great. You wrote about Ettumanoor temple in Kerala. There is one temple at Kadapattoor near Kottayam, Palai somewhere that I visited long long ago. Have you heard of this temple. The temple was located across a river and the only access those days were a bamboo bridge. The deity is said to be unique in the sense that it revealed Itself when someone was felling a tall tree. If you know of it, please give more details.
Also visit my blog: neel48.blogspot.com
neel,
Welcome!!
Thanks for dropping in. I haven't heard about this temple though my idea is to visit all the ancient temples where ever possible.I will try to get info. about this temple and if possible would visit also during my next trip to Kerala. Shall visit your blog too.
Keep Visiting.
Liked your blog. Very descriptive and informative too.
informative
regards
Dr. Kanam Sankara Pillai
Welcome and thanks . Please come again when you find time.
Shobha Kamath
Welcome and thanks for visiting.Keep coming here.
hi Chitra,
first i thank you from my heart and i wish you a long and healthy life .i wish you will continue this without any interuption.
Chitra,please mention the history of the temple becasue the greatness of the temple lies in the history and hows its started.
vinod
Dream world. Shall visit for sure...
Vinid, thanks for the suggestion, By God's grace I should be able to carry forward this.
i heard some where, this temple has any relation with spiritual healing of epilepsy?
Anonymous,
I have no idea about what you have mentioned.
Yes u heard it right. earlier many people visited this temple for mental illness. there is 12 days Bhajana - staying there in the temple attending all the pujas in strictly obaying purity - to get rid off all types of illnes.. Mr. Vayalar Ramavaram has done Bhajana here with his mother.
i would like to no about the custom done in this temple called "adima irruthuga"
Incredіble quest thеre. Whаt happenеd after?
Thanks!
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