Flyover to beat a ban

Even as the Kerala Government is making desperate attempts to see that the ban on night traffic through the Bandipur forests are lifted, nothing much has come of it.

Karnataka, which had earlier banned movement of traffic on the road connecting it to Kerala through its Bandipur forests, has been exploring avenues to resolve the ticklish issue.

Karnataka has promised an alternative route to Kerala it has not been well-received by Kerala and its traders and businessmen. Kerala continues to insist that the best and fastest mode of transport is through the forest route alone.

Karnataka, on its part, is concerned over the rising animal deaths due to increased road traffic in the forest. It says a large number of animals, including a tiger, have been killed by vehicles over the years. It says just between 2004 to 2007,  no less than 91 mammals, 56 birds and 75 reptiles were crushed by vehicles on the Bandipur forest road.

Several measures to slow down vehicles on the forest stretch, construction of road humps imposing speed limits, increasing the watch and ward staff have not met with the desired success.

Now, traders, tourist operators and regular commercial users of the road have come with a unique alternative to resolve the imbroglio. This idea, perhaps, would be the first of its kind in India.

The transport tourist operators have mooted the idea of a flyover covering the forest to link the two states. The flyover would be as long as eighteen kilometers and what is more it would completely eliminate the need for any measure to control, monitor or even regulate road traffic.

The flyover, these operators say, would allow the animals the much needed space on the ground, while permitting unrestricted and unrestrained movement of vehicles above the ground. Thus, as against the present ban, the flyover would facilitate 24 hour movement of vehicles.        

The idea is still in infancy but the traders are sure that it will take shape after the Supreme Court takes a final decision on the night ban on movement of vehicles.

The night ban was first put in place by the Chamarajanagar administration following increasing deaths of animals caused by speeding vehicles.

This ban was upheld by the Karnataka High Court and it is now before the Supreme Court. The Karnataka High Court had upheld the closure of vehicular traffic through the two highways passing through Bandipur on March 9, 2010.

About 13 kilometres of national highway (NH) 212 and 20 kms of NH 67 that connect Karnataka with Kerala pass through the core area of  Bandipur forests. The Karnataka High Court had banned traffic between 9 p.m., and 6 a.m., on these roads.

The matter is at present pending before the Supreme Court as Special Leave petition (SLP) 13838/2010, 24865 and 24866/2012.

Transport and tourist operators and traders claim they are incurring heavy losses due to the night ban on traffic. They claim that the  cost required for construction of flyover is much less when compared to losses incurred by them and also the loss of animal life.

The flyover would cost in the region of Rs. 1,200 crores and the cost would have to be shared between the two states of Karnataka and Kerala and the Central Government.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Government had already released Rs. 48 crore for the upgradation of the alternative road passing through  Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Kartikulam, which is only 30 km longer than the Bandipur forest road and this road can be used at night too. The upgradation of the alternative road is nearly complete, he added. Similarly, the discussion on Nanjangud-Nilambur railway line project is before the National Green Tribunal, Chennai.

(Application No. 156/2013).

The many martial arts of India

Hollywood, Chinese and Japanese films have glamorized martial arts and cine heroes such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and others have been much admired in India for their expertise in martial arts.

Almost all films featuring the dead Lee and Chan draw huge crowds. The “ohs” and “ahas” of the audience and their admiration to the distinct styles of these two set me thinking about martial art in India.

Going back in history, I learnt that martial arts originated in India and  then spread to other counties of the Orient, including China, Korea, Mongolia and Japan.      

While Buddhists texts in India have plenty of references to different styled of fighting, there are several other which are not much known outside the region of their birth.

One of the earliest martial art is Vajra Musti or fighting with knuckles. There are regional variations of this art and the it still survives in Mysore and Gwalior. Both the Wodeyars of Mysore and Gaekwads of Gwalior were patrons of this art.

The Chalukya Emperor, Someshwara, has written about this art as has the Buddhist text, “The Lotus Sutra”, which belongs to Mahayana branch of Buddhism.

Another native form is the Kalaripayattu of Kerala. It is one of the oldest forms of fighting that still exists in the world. It generally includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. It has three main styles-north, central and south.

Though the south style is now extinct, the Tamil style of  Adi Murai is classified as the southern kalarippayattu by Kerala Kalarippayattu association.

Another ancient Indian art is Bandesh. In this, the main aim is to defeat an armed opponent. The art uses various joint locks. This is one of the few art forms which believe in the sanctity of human life. It practices using weapons without killing. Here, the winner is the one who takes the weapon from the other.

Marma Atti is an Indian martial art, which lays stress on exhausting and discouraging an attacker psychologically as well as physically.

Marma Atti is often referred to as a refined form of a rudimentary self defence. This is taught widely in rural parts of south India. What makes this art distinct from other forms is that it helps a common person to take care of himself  in case of an attack while keeping his physical limitations under consideration.

Marma Atti, however, is a limited set of physical self defence and behavioural patterns, stressing on calm rather than fear in case of attacks.

This is one of the few arts to combine both physical and mental aspects. The Marma practitioner reasons with his attacker after repeatedly foiling the incoming attacks. So this art teaches  evading punches, kicks, knives, sticks and other weapons, frustrating and humiliating the attacker in process. So, your victory depends more on the exhaustion of your opponent.  

Binot is another art which mainly teaches weaponless fighting and  wrestling techniques against armed and unarmed attackers. This is very difficult to learn, tough to practice and almost impossible to fully master. It is reckoned to be among the most dangerous martial arts. It employs wrestling technique.

Another Indian art is Bothati or the art of  using spears in combat astride a horse. This style requires a practitioner to be well-versed in horse riding, balance and he needs a keen eyesight.

The Malla Yuddha is an Indian form of wrestling and one of the many variants is still existing in Mysore and Bangalore. The Wodeyar Emperor, Ranadheera Kanteerva was an expert as were Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The place where wrestlers practice is called Garadi Mane. Mysore has more than two dozens such manes and Bangalore has a few in Ranasinghpet.    

The north east state of  Manipur is home to Cheibi which is another form of martial art. The Cheibi is a stick encased in leather and it is generally 2.5 feet in length.

The Chebi is used along with a leather shield.

Another art which blends a sharp sword with quick movements is Pata or sword gauntlet. The blade is short and it is integrated in a gauntlet. It is similar to the Katar in use. Chatrapathi Shivaji was a master of this art. One of his Generals Tanaji Malusare used it with both the hands during the Battle of Sinhagad before one of his hands was cut off and he was killed by the Mughals.

The Punjab has Gakta which mainly deals with fencing. The sword here is called Gatka and the shields are known as Fari. The Gatka is about three feet in length. The rules are similar to fencing. There is need to be agile on the feet and you can fight even on horseback.

Another typical Indian art is Gada or Swinging a weighted ball and mace. This was popular in Vedic and ancient times but today it is almost extinct.

However, one of the most versatile Indian martial arts is lathi. You may have seen such fighting in films. The art requires a high level of training in wielding a bamboo stick. The opponent can be one or many. It does not matter. One stick is all you need to be on the defence or go on the offensive. A similar art is Silambam or staff fighting. In this art, the wood is much shorter than a lathi and the art is more on fighting off an enemy. This was very popular during the Vedic ages.    

Another obscure Indian art is Sarit. Here the emphasis is on taking evasive action by feints and also explosive offence.

Adithada-Adi means hitting and thada means blocking- is another art native to south India. It is very similar to Karate and kick boxing. It has both grappling and striking techniques. The British took great pains to suppress this art.

Another art, which is not very popular, is Varma Kalai also known as Varmakalai or Varmakkalai. The art was practiced by monks who combined Yoga, Ayurveda and and disciplined combat into one and called it Kalai.

The emphasis here is stopping attacks rather than injuring the opponent. Attacks are meant for self defence and they target the vital points throughout the human body. This is again an art of fighting with or without weapons. A teacher and one who masters this art is called asaan.

It takes years to master the art.

Niyuddha-kride is another form that concentrates on diversion and quick striking. The practitioners of Niyuddha-kride move in so  quickly when least expected that you can barely defend yourself.

Savasu is another Indian martial art.

Thang Ta is the art of  using a sword, spear or any sharp instrument against one or more opponents. This art was initially practiced by Tantrics. Even today it has three distinct stages. The first is  ritual in nature, the second is a series of dances with the sword and spear while the final stage is combat. This art shares a common origin with Sarit Sarak, the sibling of Thang Ta.

Thang Ta or Huyen Lallong is a weapon-based art initially created by the Meitei of Manipur.

Sarit Sarak is the art of  fighting bare handed. It dates back to the 17^th century. Both these art forms were used by Manipuris with telling effect against the British who banned it.

Banshay is a weapon-based Burmese art focusing primarily on the sword, cane, staff and spear. Here, the participant makes extensive use of the dha or sword  in pairs. Sword-fencing demonstrations and performances often begin with a pre-fight war dance in which the swordsman spins one or two swords very close to the body without cutting themselves.

Sword training is conducted with the weapon still sheathed. Traditionally when a master first presents his student with a sword, the scabbard is fixed so that the disciple is discouraged from killing opponents. Under extreme conditions when the sword must be unsheathed, the scabbard may be broken with a rock or other object. This art is restricted to north east.

The art of archery is called Thoda.  Here, the wooden ball replaces the arrow head and the bows differ size, ranging from 3.5 feet to 6 feet.

Well, I will have to end now as the list keeps on growing. There are art forms of the Marathas and of Bihar and Karnataka that I have not touched upon. Suffice to say that India is one country that has a variety of martial arts that fits every person, all ages and all categories of people.  

The tea museums of India

There are a variety of museums relating to a wide spectrum of  topics right from history, geography, folk art, folk dolls, dance, drama, music, literature, automobiles and what not.

But this museum should surely take the cake for it is one of its kind in India and certainly a rarity even in this age. This is the Tea Museum in Kerala and it is located in a tea estate in Munnar, which is one of the most beautiful spots in God’s own country as Kerala is called.

The museum was started by Tata Tea, which is one of the most recognized brands in India. Since the Tata group was one of the pioneers of tea cultivation in Munnar, it thought it fit to start a museum in its estate in Munnar.       

It is called the Tata Tea Museum and it is a connoisseur’s delight as it can give you a history of tea and the phases of development that it underwent over the last few decades.

The museum is in the Nallathanni Estate and it chronociles the beginning of tea plantation, the equipments used then and the brands of tea that have emerged from the estate.

The highlight of the museum should be a rare sundial which is placed on a granite bock. This beautiful device was crafted in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth, Tamil Nadu.

Another exhibit which attracts attention is a original tea roller called the Rotorvane. The device was manufactured in 1905 and was used for CTC type tea processing.

CTC means “Crush, Tear, and Curl” and also “Cut, Twist and  Curl”  and it is a method of processing black tea. In this process, the tea leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp “teeth” that crush, tear, and curl the tea.

Apart from this CTC, there is a “Pelton Wheel” widely used in  power generation plant that existed in Kanniamallay estate in the 1920s. The Kanniamallay estate was part of a series of estates in Munnar that Tatas named as Kannan Devan tea estates

Another exhibit that will captivate visitors is the rail engine of the Kundale Valley Light Railway, which carried men and material between Munnar and Top Station during 1900s.

There are a few exhibits that do not relate to tea but were found in the Tea estates such as a burial urn dating back from the second century BC. The urn was discovered near Periakanal estate.

The museum also has a section exhibiting classic bungalow furniture, typewriters, wooden bathtub, magneto phone, iron oven, manual calculators and even an EPABX or telephone exchange of the 1909 telephone system.

The best place in the museum is the demonstration room for tea tasting.  It is here that we come across varieties of tea. Visitors are also made aware of  various stages of processing tea and even preparing black tea.

The museum is open on all days of the week and there is a en entrance fee.

Munnar is a hill station in Idukki district in Kerala. It is situated at the confluence of three rivers-Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala.

Munnar is part of the Annamalai Ranges, with south India's highest peak Anamudi. Munnar easily accessible by road. The nearest airports are Nedumbassery in Kochi, Kovai in Coimbatore and Madurai. It is hardly four hours by road from these places. The nearest railway stations are Alwaye,  Ernakulam, Madurai and Coimbatore.

Another  tea museum is at Dodabetta in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. It was opened in 2005 and covers an area of once acre.

The museum has three sections:Origin of World tea, Tea history in India and finally Evolution of Tea in the Nilgiris. You can also check out facts on how tea as a beverage is made and how it is traded.

However, the credit for the tea museum at the highest point in India is at Darjeeling, West Bengal. This is described as India’s first  working tea museum and it is located at a height of  6,800 feet at the foothills of Himalayas.

The museum is at the Happy Valley Tea Estate in the fringes of Darjeeling town on Wednesday. Assam is also planning on a tea museum at its capital of Gawhati.

India has a long history of tea cultivation. It began in the 1820 when the East India Company commenced tea cultivation in Assam. Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, though over seventy per cent of the tea is consumed within India itself.

India is listed as the world’s leading producer, its 715,000 tons well ahead of China’s 540,000 tons. However, because Indians average half a cup daily on per capita basis,  70 per cent of India's immense crop is consumed locally.

Temple of Rama's brothers

He plays a vital role in the Ramayana. He is as wall-known as Rama, the hero of the first ever epic of India. His unstinted devotion to Rama and his love and affection towards him have made him the stuff of legends.

Even today, when people talk of devotion and love between kin, his name is taken first. He is Bharata, the second brother of Rama.

While there are thousands of temples dedicated to Rama, there are practically no temples to Bharata or Shatrughna. Or that is what I so thought. How wrong I was.

Indeed, there is a beautiful temple  to Bharata in Kerala.

This is the temple of Koodalmanikyam or Kudal Manikkam in Irinjalakuda in Trissur district.

Interestingly this is one of four temples called the Nalambam wjere each temple is dedicated to one person-Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna.

The Rama Temple is at Triprayar (22 Km north west of Irinjalakuda), the Bharatha Temple at Irinjalakuda, Lakshmana temple at Moozhikkulam (30 km south-west of Irinjalakuda) in Ernakulam district and Shatrughna Temple at Payammal (5 km south of Irinjalakuda).

Though the deity in this temple is that of Bharata, the idol in the sanctum sanctorum is worshipped as that of Chaturbuja Vishnu. Therefore, the deity is also called Sangameshwara (Lord of the Confluence).

The temples dates back to the Chera kings and the earliest reference to the temple is dated 854 AD in the reign of the Chera King Stanu Ravi Varman.

The inscriptions tells us about the vast lands that have been donated for the temple.

Koodalmanikyam Temple is a marvel in architecture. The sanctum sancturum is round shaped and the wood as well as stone carvings are so breathtaking that they attract students of art and architecture. The murals on the walls on either side of the Eastern entry to temple are a visual treat. The Temple has nourished arts such as Kathakali, Koothu, Koodiyattom and Thullal. This temple is home to some unique practices. There is no Deeparadhane to the deity. Besides, the deity is taken out in a ceremonial procession only during the annual festival. Moreover, sticks and camphor are not used for pooje. The floral offerings consist of  lotus, tulasi and Cheti (ixora). The lotus garland is important for the deity and no other flower is offered. The lotus garland must have a minimum of 101 flowers for it to be offered to the deity. The annual festival of the temple is held for ten days during Medam (April and May). The first day of the festival is arrived at by calculating the appearance of the moon. This is signified by hoisting a ceremonial flag. Generally, the first day falls a day after the famous Thrissur Pooram festival. On each of the ten days of the festival, caparisoned elephants are taken out in a procession twice. Such a procession is called Seevali. It is held once in the morning and once at night and it is accompanied by Panchari Melam or music. Seventeen elephants take part in the ritual. Two elephant calves escort the main elephant carrying the deity. The head dresses called Netti pattam in Malayalam, of seven of the elephants are made of pure gold, while for the others it is made of silver. The last two days of the festival features Panchavadya or the orchestra of sacred music of five instruments. This temple is 25 kms from Thrissur. It is well-connected by buses and other road transport. Temple of Shatrughna The temple to Shatrughna is located at Payammal, which is six kilometers from the Bharata temple at Irinjalakuda. The idol here is consecrated in a squarish granite santum sanctorum. The original idol has not been traced after the priests hid it in the temple pond for safety when Tipu and his army desecrated the temple here. This pond is behind the temple. The existing idol is made of granite. This is the smallest of the four temples. This is the final temple which devotees visit when they embark on the Nalambalam Yatra. This is considered to be one of the most holy event during the Malayalam month of  Karidakam. Kerala thus has the distinction of having temples in the names of all the four brothers-Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. All the four temples are situated near to each other and it is believed to bring good luck and a long life if you manage to see all of them in one single day. The best place to stay and see all the temples is Thrissur. This city is well-connected by all forms of transport. The best way to see these temples is by hiring a taxi. Thrissur itself has several temples and the elephant race is a famous event.

The temple where Kathakali is staged every night as an offering to God

When you go to a temple, you can see the deity in its entirety  when you enter the sanctum sanctorum. But in this temple you cannot see the top most portion and the lower portion of the deity as it is believed that the Viratapurusha has no origin and no end. This is also the temple where the deity is dressed in white and saffron robes and this is contrary to the general practice prevalent elsewhere where such deities are dressed in yellow.

It is perhaps the only temple where all major forms of worship-Vaishnava, Shiva and Shakti are followed. This is so as the deity here is Purusha or the ultimate God with no form, no beginning, no  end and no form.

This temple here is known to have followed the same set of rules and regulations and form of temple worship from its construction which is first dated to 59 BC. This makes it one of the oldest known places of worship known to mankind and one of the oldest continuing places of worship for more than 2,000 years.

Believed to be more than 4,000 years old, the temple worships the supreme God Vishnu in his original, cosmic and transcendental  form or Purusha.

One of the most unique customs in the Vishnu Temple here is the daily performance of Kathakali every night within the temple premises.

The Kathakali performances are enacted every night as an offering to the God. The main theme of the Kathakali performance are stories relating to Duryodhana Vadham (annihilation of Duryodhana), Santhana Gopalam (story of Arjuna), Kuchela Vrutham (story of Kuchela) Sreevallabha Vijayam (glory of Vishnu) and Thokalaasura Vadham (annihilation of Thokalaasura).

The Kathakali is one of the native dance forms of Kerala and in this temple it is more of a daily ritual. This is the temple of Vishnu or Hari more popularly called Sreevallabha.

This temple is in  Located in Tiruvalla town in Panthanamthitta district in Kerala.

What makes this temple stand pout from the rest of the Vaishnava temples is that the deity here is worshipped in his original or cosmic form. In other Vishnu temples, the deity is clothed in yellow but here it is either white or saffron. These two colours are associated with eternity.

Another peculiarity of the deity is that there is no peeta puje here. Pete puje is mandatory for Vaidika temples in Kerala (these rituals are enshrined in the Tantrasamuchayam and are followed by almost all temples in Kerala) but it is not done here as it is believed that Purusha has no beginning or end.

Though this is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Vishnu, many of the rituals an ceremonies performed here are not done anywhere else.

The daily Kathakali performances makes it the venue to have the maximum number of such performances in India or abroad.

History says that this place was inhabited by humans before 3000 B.C. The Thiruvalla inscriptions point out that a temple for Sudarshana Chakra was built here in 2998 B.C by sridevi Antherjanam. It was rebuilt in 59 BC by Queen Cherumthevi.

The first ever prose work in Malayalam is found in this temple. They were discovered in the Tiruvalla inscription in 1915 and they date back to the early 12^th century period.

There is an interesting legend about Sreevallabha. Vishnu appeared here as Sreevallabha before sage Durvasa and Khandakarna. The idol of Sreevallabha was later worshipped by Lakshmi and then Krishna. There is a belief that Durvasa and Saptarishis come here every night and worship Sreevallabha.

It is this idol that has been installed here since 59 BC. Since then, the temple has been strictly adhering to its own set of rules and regulations.

Situated on the banks of Manimala, this temple covers an area of 8.5 acres. It is surrounded by a mammoth compound wall, which in itself is a sight to marvel. The red granite compound is 12 feet in height, 566 feet long and  4.5 feet with a two-storied  gopura on  each side.

This huge compound wall must be the oldest such structure anywhere in the world as it was constructed in 509 BC. Legend has it that the entire wall was completed in a single night by bhoothas (servants) of  Vishnu.

There is a big pond just outside the eastern wall. It covers one and half acres and there is platform for Kathakali performances near the east entrance of the temple.

There is a mango and fig tree here within the compound. It is said that Durvasa meditated here. Near the gopura on the west of the wall is a structure which is believed to be the place where Sridevi Antherjanam lived. The gate below the north gopura is always closed. It is opened only during a festival called Uthra Streebali.

The north east corner has a sacred pond where 64 hidden idols of Vishnu are hidden. Nobody except the priests of the temple are allowed near the pond.

The place where Vedavyasa and Durvasa disappeared can be seen on the eastern side.      

The Garuda Dwaja or Garuda Stamba was also built in 59 BC along with the temple wall. It is made of black granite and rises 53 feet above ground. A Garuda statue is placed atop the stamba.

The priests are expected to follow a strict regimen before and after entering the temple. Neither the priests nor the people visiting the temple are allowed to smear themselves with ash or Vibhuti  though it is handed out as a Prasada in the temple. The ash can be smeared on the body only after you leave the temple. However, you can smear yourself with sandalwood. 

The main temple, called sreekovil in Malayalam, is conical and it has a perimeter of about 160 feet. It is built of granite and the walls are adorned with beautiful murals of the ten avatars of Vishnu.

The conical roof is covered with copper plates. There is a beautiful dome of gold atop the roof.

The inner chamber of the sanctum sanctorum with the idol of  Vishnu faces east.

There are several underground cellars within the temple which is believed to be the haunt of ghosts, snakes and other reptiles. These cellars are located on the western side of  Navakappura.

The mystery of the cellars are yet to be unraveled. Who built them and why were they built? Nobody seems to know.

There are many temples dedicated to other deities within the temple premises. 

The temple is located on the Tiruvalla-Ambalappuzha highway and it is 2 kms from the Tiruvalla railway station. The temple town is well connected by both road and rail network.

The temple is under the management of the Travancore Devaswom Board.

  

The deity which is abused by devotees

People approach temples with a great deal of faith and devotion. So much so that any transgression leads to a war of words. Sometimes these exchanges have even lead to clashes and loss of life and property.

Whatever the religion or whichever the place of worship, devotees bow to the deity and seek its blessings with utmost respect. In Hindu temples, the priests chant Sanskrit mantas and seek to propriate the deity on behalf of a devotee.

On his part, a devotee comes to the temple with the hope that the deity will grant ho a boon to fulfill his wishes. Even the most hardened criminal will address God with a great deal of respect and humility.

But what would you have to say  if I tell you that there is a temple in India where its devotees go around its structure hurling abuses at the deity and calling it names. Unbelievable but true.

This is the Kodungalloor Bhagawathy Temple of  Kerala.

The main idol here is six-foot high wooden image of Kurumba Bhagavathy. There is also a shrine dedicated to Kshethrapalan (temple guardian) and Masoori Goddess.

The temple permits only Hindus top enter. The devotees do not hurl abuses at the deity all the time. It is only during the  Malayalam month of  Meenam or during April-May when this unique spectacle takes place, The abuses can get so profane that people living around the temple prefer to close the doors and windows of the houses so that they cannot hear the words.

During Meenam, the Bharani day is celebrated with this spirit of abuses. A large number of  velichappadu or oracles- people who can forecast-gather at the temple premises.

These velichappadus drive themselves into a frenzy and then begin uttering profanities at the deity.  Most of the abuses are in the form of ribald songs with double meaning lyrics.

Thousands of devotees who gather around these velichappadus do not get angry or annoyed at this feat. Sometimes, the crowd eggs on these people to become more frensized.

These songs continue when the velichappadus take out a procession. Over the years, these songs have become a staple diet of the festival and they have been given a name called Bharani Pattu.

Sometimes the Bharani pattu gets so obscene that people prefer to stay indoors and lock the doors and windows to escape hearing the profanity.

Next comes another peculiar ritual. It is called Kavu Theendal port the pollution ceremony. This is also an important part of Kodungallur Bharani.

A large number of devotees who have gathered at the temple , including the vellichappads (oracles),  gather around the temple. They then begin the ritual of  waving hurling swords and sabers in the air, while others strike the bean of the temple roof with sticks and hurl objects, including cock, on to the inner quadrangle.

They use abusive words to Goddess while this ritual continues. A local legend says the Goddess accepts the abuses offered to her by her devotees.

Later, the  devotees bring offerings including turmeric powder, kumkum, pepper and cock. The velichappads and their followers then go around the temple thrice and then fall at the feet of the  king of the area seeking his blessing.

The next day is also important as the deity a purification ritual is undertaken.  

It is believed to have been constructed during the reign of  Chera King, Cheran Senkuttuvan. Apart from the Bharani, it is also well-known for the Thalappoli festival.

Devotees are expected to carry pepper and turmeric powder as one of the offerings to the deity. Traditionally, the temple has been associated with animal sacrifices.

The temple was built to honor the martyrdom of Kannakis during the Sangam age. Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of  Vishnu, built the temple for the welfare of devotees.

The temple is Thrissur district  and it is 29 km north west of  Kochi and 38 km south west of  Thrissur. The nearest railway station. Irinjalakuda, is 20 kilometers away and the nearest airport is Cochin which is 30 kilometers away.

Only men can crawl to see this Rama

This is a natural tunnel but legend ascribes its construction to the Architect of Gods, Vishwakarma. The tunnel leads to the cave where there is a beautiful idol of  Rama.

However, only men are allowed to crawl through the tunnel and that too on only one day in an year. The rest of the year, the tunnel is closed and one can have a darshan of Swayambhu Rama by entering the cave directly.

Women can come to the cave and have darshan of Rama directly. They are prohibited from crawling into the tunnel.

This is the Punjarani cave temple which is located 2kilometres away from the famous temple of Thiruvillwamala and 30 kms from Palakad in Kerala.

The cave was earlier in Palakad district but it now comes under Thrissur district. The cave temple is located between Vilwamala and Bhoothamala. It is 20 kms from Thrissur.     

The Punarjani Guhe or Guha in Malayalam is a natural tunnel of about 150 metres in length. According to the locals and priest of the temple, if you can crawl into and out of the tunnel, you will automatically be cleansed of your sins. The tunnel passes through a rocky cliff and though the crawling is not difficult you have to pass through a host of  rituals in order to enter it.

But remember, you can crawl into the tunnel and exit only one day of the year-Guruvayur Ekadashi. On this day, you will find hundreds of devotes eagerly waiting for their turn to crawl into the tunnel. 

In Malayalam, this seve of crawling through the tunnel is called Noozal.

Well, let me describe some of the rituals before entering the tunnel. I hope I have got the names and the rituals correctly.  The ritual of entering the tunnel is called Punarjani.

A devotee desiring to  undertake Punarjani has to come to Ganapathi theertha, which is nearly a mile east of the cave temple. The devotee then has to bathe in  Papanasini Theertha, which was believed to have been constructed by Parashurama.

The devotee then enters the tunnel and he needs about 45 minutes to come out from other end. Then devotee then again bathe at the  Papanasini Theertha and thereafter again take a dip in Pathala Theertha located at the beginning point of the Punarjani.

The next step is to take water from Kombu Theertha into the hands and pray. This theertha was formed when Indra’s elephant Iravatha struck his tusk on the rock. The last stop is at Ambu Theertha from which water has to be taken out using a stick or any other object. The entire ritual is practiced only one day in a year - Guruvayur Ekadashi, in the Malayalam month of Vrichikam (December – January).

The long narrow cave is believed to have been built by Viswakarma, who is also credited with having created Kerala.  Parashurama is supposed to have observed Punarjani 101 times to atone for his sins of killing all the kshatriya clans of India except the Ikshvakus.

Locals also believe that after the Kurukshetra battle, the Pandavas, on the advice of  Vedavyasa, performed “Karya”  for those killed in the destructive battle.

The King who became a Saint

He is perhaps handful of Indian Emperors to give up a royal life and take to a life of asceticism.

The first king to embrace religion and give up his throne is Chandragupta Maura, the grandfather of Ashoka. This Emperor built the mighty Maurya empire which was considered in the ancient ages to be among the most powerful kingdoms of the day.

He gave up his royal life and became a Jain mendicant. He spent his last days in Shravanabelogala in Karnataka.

There have been other kings and members of the royal family who have given up their opulent lifestyle to don saffron robes. One of the most prominent among them is Kulashekhara Varma also known as Kulashekhara Alvar or Ramarajasekharan who is regarded as the founder of the Later Chera dynasty of South India.

Kulashekara presided over the revival of the Chera power from 800 to 820 AD and made Mahodayapuram (present day Kodungallur) his capital.

A saintly king, he has written books in  Sanskrit and Tamil. He is considered to be one of the Hindu Alvars (Saint) and a prominent member of the Vaishnava movement in south India.

In 800AD, he succeeded his father Tidaviradhana as King of the Chera territory. He wrote Perumal Tirumozhi, a devotional work in Tamil and the Mukundamala in Sanskrit.

In Perumal Tirumozhi, he calls himself the ruler of Killi mountain (Salem), Kudal (Madurai), Kozhi (Uraiyur) and Kongu (Salem-Coimbatore).

His other Sanskrit works are Tapatisamvaranam, Subhadradhananjaya and Vichchinnabhiseka.

Kulasekhara married a Pandya princess. A great devotee of Vishnu, he presented his daughter as a Devadasi before Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam.

In 820 AD, he gave up his Kingship to become a Sanyasi. He then went to Sriranga and lived there. He is regarded as the 9th of the alvars (one of 12 mendicant saints venerated by South Indian Srivaishnavas).

His songs on Vishnu are called paasurams which form a vital part of  carnatic music. He was also part of the Bhakti movement in south India. He was a contemporary of Shankara Bhagawal Pada, an eminent Alwar.

He ruled over practically modern day Kerala and some districts of Andhra Pradesh. He was succeeded by his son, Rajashekara Verma.

He went on a pilgrimage to Thiruvarangam (Srirangam) in Cholanadu, and Thiruvenkatam (Thirupathi) in Thondainadu.

Unlike his religious belief, Rajashekara, his son, was an ardent Shaivite. Rajashekara was also known as Cheraman Perumal,

If Sabarimala is for men, this temple is for women

One of  my relatives. Vasudevan, today morning left Bangalore for Sabarimala in Kerala. He had organsied a bhajan and seve in his house in Yelahanka yesterday.

When Vasudevana called me at 11 a.m., in the morning to tell me that he would be leaving along with a group to Sabarimala, my relatives and friends wanted to know why women are barred from entering the Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala and whether there is any other exclusive shrine for women.

I told them there indeed is an exclusive temple for female devotes in Kerala and that it is as famous as the Ayyappan Temple in that State. However, it is not all that well-known outside Kerala.

This is the temple of Chakkulathukavu. The temple is an ancient one and it has an interesting legend connected with it.

This how the story unfolds.

Two demons-Sumba and Nisumba-meditated for years and acquired supernatural powers from Lord Brahma. The Creator of the world (Brahma) also gave them a boon that they could only be killed by a woman and nobody else.

The two demons soon became vain and went about conquering all the kingdoms. They even defeated the Devas under Indra, leaving the Devas panicky. The Devas fled from Indraloka and tried to hide in jungles.

Narada, the celestial saint, takes pity on the plight on the devas and decided to intercede with Brahma on their behalf. Brahma, however, tells Narada that ups and downs are a part of life and Devas too have experienced it. He said the demons could ne defeated only by  Devi and it was for the Devas to find her.

Narada then told the Devas what Brahma told them. The devas then came to the Himalayas and began a pooje near the Ganga river to appease the Goddess.

Parvathi had come to the spot and she heard the Devas chanting slokas. Parvathi decided to help out the Devas and a new form issued forth from her. This was Durga.   

Durga defeated the demons and the Devas go back to Indraloka. This is the Durga that is present here.

Every year during November- December , the pongal festival takes place. Women come here with rice, jaggery and coconuts. They bring a circular mud pot to cook pongal. The women stand in a queue in front of the temple and the queue stretches upto 20 kms.

An eagle flies overhead as the chief priest lights the main hearth in the temple. He then passes on the fire to the person or woman standing next to him. The fire is thus passed on from one to another till it reaches the woman who is last in the line.   

On the first Friday of every December (Dhanu), a unique ritual is followed in the temple. The male priests wash the feet of female devotees who have fasted for 10 days. This is because of the belief that the female devotees visiting the temple on that day are incarnation of  Chakkulathu Amma (goddess).

These devotees are showered with flowers and perfume is sprinkled on them. Aarti is then conducted.

The temple itself is believed to be over  3,000 years old and the tradition of worshipping women is an ancient one. Every Friday female devotees bring their male relatives who are addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling. These addicts are made to touch the sword of the  Devi and swear that they would renounce their bad habit.

The temple priest told me that of the 3 lakhs devotees coming here every year, 80 per cent are women. During Pongal, the temple becomes the exclusive preserve of women as men do not participate in making or preparing pongal.

The pongal festival lasts for 12 days.Visit the temple once to make a wish. The priest assures me that any wish made with true devotion and bhakti will be fulfilled.