The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
Towering teaks line the road, forming a canopy. Driving
through the forests of God’s Own Country, Kerala, towards the Tirunelli Temple,
the spiritual experience begins long before the destination.
Set amidst the lust green forests in the heart of Wayanad,
the temple of Maha Vishnu at Tirunelli is located atop a small hillock
surrounded by mountains – the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, and the
Nilgiris. It is not just the location of the temple which is interesting, but
its story too. It is said that Lord Brahma was once flying over this area, when
he was struck by the beauty of this place. He stopped to rest here for a while.
It was then that he noticed an image of Lord Vishnu on an Indian Gooseberry
(Amla or Nelli) tree, and prayed to it, in effect, consecrating the idol of the
Lord. That’s where the temple gets its name from. Rather appropriate isn’t it -
for a temple located in a forest, to be named after a tree?
The connection with Lord Brahma transcends legends to even
the present day. The temple has 5 regular pujas every day, but the priest
readies for a 6th puja before closing the temple for the day. On
opening the temple the next morning, it is said that he finds the materials
used and the puja performed, even to this day. It is believed that it is none
other than Lord Brahma himself who performs these prayers day after day.
The recorded history of the temple dates back to the 8th
century AD, when the Chera king, Kulasekharan built the temple. Built in
typical Kerala style of architecture, with stone walls and tiled roof, the
temple stands proudly against the backdrop of the high mountain ranges all
around. A few granite pillars resembling a corridor stand incongruously against
this sight, the only remnant of a time when a king from Coorg tried to renovate
the temple. Unfortunately, his plans did not beget the approval of the local
king, and the work was abandoned, leaving us with just a few pillars as
memories of the failed attempt.
A little away is the mountain stream, the Papanasini, so
sacred that she is believed to wash away all the sins of those who bathe in
her. People come from far and wide to perform the rituals for their ancestors
on her banks, thus giving the place the status of Dakshina Kashi, or Kashi of
the south. Also nearby is the cave temple, Gunnika, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Thus, Tirunelli is an especially sacred place, unifying all aspects of the
trinity.
The temple’s location is beautiful and tranquil. But it is
by no means easy to reach. Surrounded by mountains and dense jungles, it must
have been tough to visit the temple before the dawn of modernity. However, over
the centuries, it has drawn devotees from far and wide, despite the difficult
terrain. And over time, these ardent devotees have helped make it easier for
those who came after them. There is no story which illustrates this better than
that of the wife of the Chirackal Raja. In those days, the closest source of
water for the temple was the Papanasini, and water was brought from the stream
in pots and stored for use in prayers as well for drinking purposes. The day
the queen arrived, there was no water left in the pots and she was unable to
perform her puja. Shocked at the thought that the temple had no source of
water, she ordered her attendants and soldiers to find a way to bring water to
the temple. Exploring the forest, they came across another stream nearby, and,
using bamboo reeds, managed to divert water to the temple. Later, on returning
to her kingdom, she sent a team of workers who replaced the bamboo reeds with a
stone aqueduct, which, till date, brings cool, fresh water to the temple.
Centuries have passed since the temple was built, and the
passage of time has brought along with it the inevitable change. Today, well laid roads ease the path for
pilgrims, and every arrangement is made for their comfort. There are hotels and
shops, and the temple has also built accommodation for those who wish to stay.
There is a constant bustle of devotees, and the strains of the pealing temple
bells resound over the hills, calling one and all for the beginning of the
pujas. And yet, peace reigns over it all, certainly a triumph of nature and
spirituality over the mundane!
Location:
Thirunelli is located
in the Wayanad District of Kerala, about137 Km from Calicut,121 Km from Mysore,
and 250 Km from Bangalore.
Temple Timings: Morning: 5:30 AM to 12:00 Noon
Evening: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
For more information about the temple as well as accommodation options,
check the temple website: http://thirunellitemple.com
An edited version of this article was originally published in the 9th issue of YES Magazine published by the Sai Youth of Maharashtra and Goa. Click here to download the magazine.
Tirunelli as you said is famous from times immemorial for the performance of last rites and Shraddhams. There is a Vishnu Padam made out for Pinda Danam. I revisited the place through your post.
ReplyDeleteWe didnt actually go to the Pinda pradaanam place, so I didnt see the Vishnu Padam.. i only visited the temple on this trip
DeleteI love the background of this temple. Nice post!
ReplyDeletehttp://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in
Thanks Niranjan!
DeleteI follow your blog regularly. I have noticed that you visit pretty uncommon but exquisite places. I find your blog extremely interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Balaka! I do try to visit as many uncommon places as I can.
DeleteKerala temples have a charm of their own! This one is unique, I didn't know of this place when I visited Wayanad.
ReplyDeleteoh yes, Indrani. Kerala temple do have a sort of charm of their own. And this one was especially interesting since I didnt know of it before either.
DeleteWe actually visited this temple after completing arduous trek of Pakshiptalam . You have covered the details of this temple wonderfully .
ReplyDeletewow! I didnt go to Pakshipatalam at all... with my ankle, that is one trek I cant even think of!
DeleteInteresting post! Temple looking peaceful and calmness.
ReplyDeletePost written nicely with good content.
Thank you so much!
DeleteWhat a fabulous post, Anu. I love how every sacred shrine has such an interesting story behind it. I wonder what it would be like to compile the sthala puranams of temples across India.
ReplyDeleteWe will be going to Papanashini to immerse my mom-in-law's ashes. In fact, she wanted to visit Tirunelli but somehow it didn't happen when she was alive. I have heard about this temple a lot and eager to go there. You have nicely presented all the details.
ReplyDeleteHope to do Pakshipathalam as well.