CONTINUATION OF TEMPLES OF FOUR BROTHERS –
MOOZHIKULAM SRI LAKSHMANASWAMY TEMPLE
Friends,
This temple is one of the four temples for the divine brothers, Lord Rama, Lord Bharatha, Lord Lakshmana and Lord Shathrugna, situated in kerala in ANGAMALY. As per folk lore a person called VAKKEY KAIMAL got four idols which were similar from the sea shore of Arabian Sea. This is one of them. Angamali is in Eranakulam District which is about 30 miles away from IRINJALAKKUDA. Namalwar and Thirumangaiyalwar in PASURAM have referred about this temple deity as திருமூழிக்கலாட்டப்பன் and மஹா லக்ஷ்மி மதுரவேணிநாச்சியார் ( Thirumoozhikkalaattappan and Maduraveni Naachiar ) . The exact location of this temple is between Angamaali in Eranakulam District and and MAALA ( മാള – மாளை ) in Thrissur District. Here you can see an Agraharam of Tamil Brahmins which is among the 32 Tamil Brahmins Villages of Kerala. Further HAREETHA MUNI who is the son of Viswaamithra performed penance (തപസ്സ് - தபசு) Lord Vishnu at this place.
A BIT OF MYTHOLOGY ON THE NAME OF THIS PLACE : Friends, it will not be out of place to say as per mythology how this place got this name. Hareetha Muni while performing penance to please Lord Vishnu, when the fourth yuga ( KALI YUGA ) just started gave some advices to Hareetha Muni called ( திருமொழி meaning THIRU = SREE, MOZHI = ADVICES; In Malayalam as to how to overcome the difficulties in Kali Yuga. Thus Thirumozhi became THIRUMOOZHI and களம் means place ) Kalam became Kulam in in long run. The greatness of this place is praised by NAM AZAZHVAAR in PERIYA THIRUVAAIMOZHI (நம்மாள்வாரின் பெரியதிருவாய்மொழி).
We can see the idols of LORD DAKSHINAMURTHY ( Lord Shiva ) on the southern side of the temple. Other deities are GOSALA KRISHNASWAMY, GANAPATHI, HANUMAR, SEETHA DEVI and AYYAPPA. The practice here is that you must enter through the eastern side gate called PRAAKAARAM) visit the Main deity and the visit other MURTHIS.
DAILY POOJA TIMINGS and Annual festival
Opens at 3 AM and remains open till 12 noon. Again opens at 4 PM and remains open till 11 PM.
There are three seevilis called Prabhaatha Seeveli, Uccha Seeveli and Aththaazha Seeveli. The Lord (Main Deity is taken in procession to meet his subjects and to know their welfare. “The annual festival which falls in the malayalam month of Makaram used to be an occasion of great festivity, with performances of koothu and Koodiyaattam for a 41 day period in the temple Koothambalam. Inscriptions from the 11th century CE (Bhaskara Ravivarman) are seen in this temple. The Thirumoozhikualam Lekshmana Perumal Temple had a superior status and it had a command over the other local temples. It attracted most of the Tamil Vaishnavite pilgrims who visited ancient Kerala. The temple had a bylaw by name 'Moozhikkulam katcha' which applied to all other temples of Kerala. “
To be Cont’d.
Regards and Best wishes,
P.R.Radhakrishnan