MULLAKKALRAJESHWARI TEMPLE, ALLEPPEY KERALA-COMPILED
Dear friends, Today my posting is about Mullakkal Bhagavathi temple. Situatedin the heart of the busy Alleppey town, know popularly as the Venice of Kerala,Mullakkal Devi Temple is a uniquetemple with no roof over the sanctum sanctorum and the deity isexposed to sun and rain. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan31-5-2025. Introduction Mullakkal Rajeshwari Temple, also known as the MullakkalBhagwati Temple is situated on the main street of ‘Mullakkal Theruvu’ inAlappuzha district of Kerala. Built-in the traditional Kerala style architecture, the temple is accessible to people ofall faiths, religions and castes. The charming temple boasts of aquaint little pond and well-maintained premises. Graced with plenty of treesand pretty jasmine plants, the temple presents a picturesque landscape. The temple grounds is filled with jasmine plants, after whichthe place may have been named, since 'mullai' in Tamil and 'mulla' in Malayalammean jasmine. Legends The Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple's origins are shrouded infascinating narratives. One legend recounts exiled soldiers from Thekkamkoor seekingrefuge, carrying the goddess' idol to a jasmine-filled garden. There, King Devanarayana ofChembakasserry is said to have built the temple in her honour. Another tale speaks of the goddessherself appearing in a dream to the king, prompting the temple's construction inAlappuzha. Another story says that upon seeing the goddess at theKodungalloor Bhagavathy temple, king Devanarayana of Chembagasery desired tobring the goddess back to his kingdom. That very night, the goddess appearedbefore him in his dreams and announced that she would indeed accompany him backto his kingdom. When he arrived in Alappuzha, the king decided to rest in ajasmine garden and put his umbrella down. When he awoke he could not move theumbrella. He took it as a sign that the goddess wished to remain there andbuilt a temple for here there in the jasmine garden. History Mullakkal Bhagwati Temple, is a significant Hindu shrine inAlappuzha, Kerala. This captivating Hindu temple, boasting nearly 500 years ofhistory, is dedicated to the revered Goddess Rajeshwari, fondly addressed as'Mullakkal Devi' or 'Mullakkal Amma'. Over the centuries, the Mullakkal Temple has witnessed its shareof historical events. During the conquest of Tipu Sultan, Namboodiri Brahmins arebelieved to have brought the Annapurneswari idol to a jasmine garden,eventually forming the foundation of the present-day temple. Originally housing theAnnapurneswari idol, the temple underwent a significant change in 1962. A peculiar incident involving astranger's touch resulted in cracks on the idol, leading to its replacementwith the current Rajarajeswari idol. This shift was accompanied by theinstallation of idols of Lord Krishna and serpent gods in separate shrineswithin the temple complex. Architecture The temple conform to the architectural pattern of Keralatemples with gopuram in front and the grand anakottil (elephant house) behindit. Visitors can explore the temple complex, where intricatearchitectural details and vibrant decorations adorn the exterior, creating avisually stunning sight. Inside, devotees offer prayers and seek blessings fromthe presiding deity, Goddess Rajeshwari, in an atmosphere filled with divineenergy and spiritual solace. The temple hosts various rituals and ceremoniesthroughout the year, offering a glimpse into Kerala's rich religious heritageand cultural traditions. Sanctum One of the most striking features of the MullakkalRajarajeswari Temple is its unique open-roofed Sreekovil, a marvel oftraditional Kerala architecture. Deities The main deity is Durga and the shrine is with open roof structure. Prior to 1961, the idol placed in the inner shrine was thatof Annapurneswari, who had a ladle in one hand and a pot in the other. In 1961 however the original idol was replaced. It is saidthat a stranger entered the sanctum sanctorum and embraced the idol after whichseveral cracks were observed on the idol. The priests took it to mean that thegoddess was instructing them to make a new idol. And so on 16 July 1962 a newidol, that of Rajarajeswari, was placed in the inner sanctum, replacing the oldone. Apart from the main Goddess, there are also small temples forLord Krishna, Hanuman, Sastha,Subramanya and Nagas (serpents) in the temple. A big banyan treeshields the ‘linga’ of Lord Shiva for Darshana. Poojas and offerings As in other Devi temples Customs and Rituals Special foods and sweet dishes are offered to the goddess asNaivedyam. According to legend, when the Annapurneswari idol was worshipped onthe first day, the prasadam consisted of vadas made with whole urud gram thatwas offered by a family in the neighbourhood. Following that convention thesame prasadam is made today and the ingredients are offered by various patrons.This special prasadam is usually offered at night. Festivals >From the first of Vrischigam month (October-November) afestival is celebrated >for forty-one days. The last eleven days is called as Chirappu festival andis >a famous festival in these parts and is referred to as Alappuzha Chirappu. >Theyinvite famous musicians and artists to perform at the temple premises at >night.The firework display on this day at the end of the festive ceremony is >usuallyvery elaborate and attractive to watch. The first Sunday ofDecember is celebrated in this temple as a women's festival. On that Day all functions of thetemple outside sanctum are carried out by women only. Thousands of lamps arelit on that day evening by ladies coming from far and near. During the last 11days of the chirappu, the whole town will be full of lights and decoration andwill be the busiest days of the town. Navarathri (Dussera) isalso celebrated in the temple. On Maha navami day 150girl children are given new cloths and are worshipped as Kumaris. Visiting the Mullakkal Rajeshwari Temple during its majorfestival, Mullakkal Chirappu, offers a grand spectacle, while the NavratriFestival and ThaipooyaKavadi add to the temple's vibrant cultural experience. "Theyattu" iscelebrated on that night. During this function a huge portrait of the Goddess is made on the floorwith different colored powder. Ace dancers dance on this color Rongolee andslowly this portrait gets removed from the floor. On Maha Navami Childrenplace their text books onthe main Shrine for Pooja; during this time special poojas are performed."Bommai Kolu Festival" is an integral part of temple's festivecelebrations when all elderly women from Hindu society set these 'Bommas' inthe 'Oottupura'; These women offer their sincere prayers by reading Bhagavathamloudly, the main holy scripture of Hindus and offer their prayers. Lalithasahasranamam isalso recited during thefestival days. In the olden days, elephants adorned with"nettipattam" were paraded in the evenings and pradakshina around thetemple 'prahara' were done with the deity "seated" on the mainelephant to the accompaniment of chendamelam. Tips Please note cameras are not allowed inside the templepremises. Kindly note this isnot a Picnic or tourist spot. If you are keen to visit this place, please bedecent in your behaviour as well as dressing. Dress Code : The temple follows a proper dress code. Men aresupposed to remove their shirts and vest before the temple. Women are supposedto dress in traditional clothes- sarees or north Indian suits Timings 04:30 AM to 10:30 PM - 05:00 PM to 08:00 PM Elephant shelter Some area of 20 square ft. is roofed and covered and is usedto shelter elephants which are used by the temple authorities for poojapurposes. Administration The temple is run by the Travancore Devaswom Board. Address: Rajeswari temple, Mullakkal Mullakkal, Alappuzha, Kerala 688009. Phone:1800 425 4747 Getting there: Nearest railway station: Alappuzha railway station, 5 kmsaway Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, 90 kms away Alleppy Bus stand 0.5 KM away. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1477482569.2022627.1748676855837%40mail.yahoo.com.
