SREEDHARMA SASTHA TEMPLE, THYCAUD , THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-KERALA STATE- COMPILED.
Dear friends, Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Thycaud, Trivandrum is a centuries-old shrine located at Thycaudin Kerala's capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. This temple is one among the three temples inThiruvananthapuram functioning under the auspices of the NSS Thiruvananthapuram TalukKarayoga Union. HereSastha is Grihastha with his wives Poorna and Pushkala and holding a blue lotusin his hand. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 25-07-2025. Introduction Thycaud Sree Dharma Sastha Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is arenowned place of worship with arich history spanning over 500 years. As the Mandalakalam season begins,the temple sees a significant surge in devotees. The temple’s presiding deityis Lord Sree Dharma Sastha. Other deities worshipped here include Lord Ganesha,Lord Shiva, Lord Maha Vishnu, Goddess Durga, Lord Subramanya, Lord Hanuman, theNavagrahas, serpent gods, and Brahmarakshas. Legends The place where the templestands today was previously a dense forest. The very name Thaikadu indicatesthat there was a forest here. Many tribals lived in this forest. Their idol was the Shasta.One day, the Venad king, who ruled the area at thattime, came to this area for hunting. Then, he came to this area to see a cow onthe way , mistook it for a wild animal and killed it with an arrow. The king, saddened bythis information, apologized to the tribals, the owners of the cow, and asked for atonement. The tribalsdemanded that a temple be built for their idol, Shasta, with all the tantricrituals. Accordingly, the king summoned the famous Tantrivaryas and templebuilders of the area, initiated the construction of the temple and enshrined Shasta in a form of a blue lotus and accompanied by his wives.Thus, the Thycaud Dharmashasta Temple came into existence. Centuries ago, when Murajapam was first performed at the SreePadmanabha Temple, many Brahmin families from different parts of Kerala andTamil Nadu had arrived in the capital for the ceremony. Legend has it that a Brahminnobleman of Paduthol Mana, also known as 'Valiya Thycaud', arrived fromMukundapuram and built the temple, with the help of the Travancore royalfamily. History At a later period Krishnan Namboodiripad, son of JatavedanNamboodiripad of Pduthol Mana, legally handed over the temple to the NSS Karayoga Union,Thiruvananthapuram, when the Brahmin nobles could not afford thedaily affairs of running the temple. This was due to their confidence in theKarayoga Union’s ability in running the temple affairs in an orderly manner. DevelopmentWork The financial condition of the temple was at a low when theUnion acquired ownership. The NS S Union then prepared a plan for development work as per the Tantric rules.To enhance the divine spirit, a number of architectural developments have beencarried out in front of the temple. They include the elephant enclosures andthe pradakshina paths. It is believed that artisans who came to renovate the iconicSree Padmanabhaswamy Temple resided near Thycaud, leaving behind a legacy ofstunning craftsmanship in the temple’s architecture. Architecture If you enter through the eastern gopuram, you will first cometo the large elephant enclosure. In this enclosure, where up to three elephantscan be paraded at a time, ceremonies such as chorunu , marriage , thulabharam ,and bhajana are held. This is also where Sabarimala pilgrims choose to garlandand tie their garlands. Here, you can find the temple's offerings, cowries, anda bookstore. Beyond the elephant enclosure, there is a flagpole carrying the horse,the vehicle of the Lord , on its head. The flagpole was installed here in 2008.Beyond this flagpole, which is about 40 feet tall, a sacrificial pit has been built. The mainsacrificial stone of the temple is located here. Since the sacrificial stonehere is very low, the idol can be seen even from the outside. Two shrines can be seen on either side of the gopuram, facingwest. In these, the southern shrine is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and thenorthern shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Both are enshrined in a posture oflooking at their son Shasta. Shrine It is housed in a very small rectangular shrine. The roof ofthis shrine, made of black stone, is covered with copper. The rest of the parts are coveredwith gold. There are three rooms inside the shrine. The western end ofthem is the garbhagriha where the idol is installed. The stone idol of Shasta,which is about three feet tall, is installed facing east. Shasta is depictedhere with his left leg folded, wearinga blue lotus in his right hand, and his left hand placed next to his left leg.Since the blue lotus is used as a medicine, the concept of Dhanvantarimurthy isalso present here. It isbelieved that the consorts of Purna-Pushkala Devi reside eternally with theLord. Invoking the entire essence of the universe, the sage ofDharma, in full bloom, reigns over the Thai forest with the spirit ofDhanvantarimurthy. There are no murals or wooden sculptures on the outer wallsof the shrine. However, to make up for their lack, beautiful figures have beencarved in stone. The story of Ayyappa is inscribed here. From the churning ofthe Palazhi to the figure of Ayyappa reigning in the Chinmudra on theeighteenth step of Sabarimala, one can see here. Now all these figures are gold-plated, which gives them agood shine. On the north side, a pond has been built to drain theAbhishekathirtha. There is a very small pond here. The water from this isconsidered by some to be the holy water. The idol of Sree Dharma Sastha, who dwells in the form ofDhanwanthari holding the auspicious Neelathamara(BLUE LOTUS)in his right hand, is believed to be an extraordinary deity who showersblessings on devotees. Offerings for Sastha These include Ganapathi Homam, Archana, Muzhukappu,Pushpanjali, Aravana Payasam, Panchamritham, Paalpayasam. Neerajanam is animportant offering in this temple and on all Saturdays, there is a heavy rushfor this offering. A large number of worshipers perform 'Navagraha Pooja'. Other offerings to the deity here are sesameseed payasam, neelapattu charthal, and archana with blue conch flower. Sub deities andofferings The shrine of Lord Vishnuis larger. The idol,which is about four feet tall, is in a standing position. The form of the Lord,which is adorned with conch, chakra, mace and lotus in its four hands, is verybeautiful. The main offerings to Lord Vishnu are milk payasam, tulsimala, sandalwood charthal, and sahasranamarchana. In the shrine of LordShiva, a smallShivalinga, which is only one foot tall, is enshrined. A silver-made Thirumukhais enshrined in it. Dhara is performed daily in the morning in this temple. Apartfrom that, there are many other offerings here like pinvilakku, koovalamala,rudrabhishekam etc. Apart from these, in another small shrine just to the southof the Shiva shrine, you can also see the idol of Hanuman Swami. The idol, which is aboutthree feet tall, is in the form of a devotee Hanuman. Hanuman, who stands withboth hands folded, has a vadamala, betel garland, avil nivedyam, buttercharthal etc. which are very special. This is probably the onlyShastakshetra where Hanuman is enshrined as a sub-deity in Kerala. The serpent and theSubrahmanya idol . A beautiful serpent grove has been built on the southwestside of the temple. It is amazing to see such a beautiful serpent grove withinthe limits of the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The concept here is that Vasuki , the Naga king , is standingon a pedestal decorated with many trees and creepers, along with his wifeNagayakshi , his daughter Nagachamundi and other retinue. Specialpoojas are performed for them on the day of Ayilyam every month and a snakesacrifice is performed on the day of Ayilyam in the month of Kanni . The deity of Brahmarakshasis also located near the serpent gods. As usual, the deity of Brahmarakshas isin the form of a Shivalinga. There are no other offerings here other than the daily lighting of lampsand milk porridge. There is also a special shrine in the northwest corner,facing east, where there is an idol of Subrahmanya Swamy. The idol, which is about three feet tall, is inthe form of Balasubrahmanya. The Shashtivratham is very special in the templeof Subrahmanya, who wears a veil in his left hand and blesses with his righthand . Here, a peacock figure is also carved in front of the temple . All theseare remarkable sights. Navagraha Prathishtha-A stage has been built for thetemple at the northeast corner. This is where artistic performances, chantingof names, lectures, etc. are held in the temple. Near this, you can see theshrine with the deities of the nine planets. The nine planets of Indianastrology , namely the Sun , Moon , Mars , Mercury , Jupiter , Venus , Saturn ,Rahu and Ketu , are installed on a single stone made in a circular shape,facing different directions. The Sun, Mercury and Venus face the east, the Moonand Saturn face the west, Mars, Rahu and Ketu face the south, and only Jupiterfaces the north. There are stone idols about two feet tall here. Navagraha Pooja and Navadhanya Samaparpanam are performedhere daily to cleanse the planetary faults. Since it is a sastha temple, Shani has special significance here. Shani Puja,which is performed on Saturdays, is celebrated here with great devotion. Manydevotees come here for this purpose. As usual, a thidappallyhas been built in the southeast corner ; a well is also in the northeast corner. In a specially made roomin the southwest corner, there is an idol of Lord Ganapati facing east. The idol, which is about three feettall, is of Lord Valambiri. The Lord holds an axe in his back right hand , arope in his back left hand, and a modakam in his front left hand , and blesseswith his front right hand. Ganapati Homam is performed in the temple everymorning to please Ganapati. Apart from this, appam, modakam, narangamala,karukamala etc. are also important offerings. In another similar room inthe northwest corner, there is an idol of Goddess Durga facing east. Here the Goddess has a very smallidol in the form of a tail mirror . It is only one foot high. Bhagavatiseva isperformed here every evening to please the Goddess. Apart from this,Neypayayasam, Lalithasahasranamarachana, Kungkumarchana etc. are also important. The inner sacrificial wall is being built around the shrine. Ashtadikpalakar (East - Indra, Southeast - Agni , South - Yama , Southwest - Niriti , West - Varuna ,Northwest - Vayu , North - Kubera , Northeast - Ishanan in that order), Sapta Matrikkal (in asingle stone on the south side - Brahmi , Maheshwari , Kaumari , Vaishnavi ,Varahi , Indrani , Chamundi in that order from the east), Veerabhadra (withSapta Matrikkal - East side), Ganapati (with Sapta Matrikkal - West side), Brahma (between the northeastand east), Anantha(between the southwest and west), Shasta (between the south and southwest), Subrahmanya (between the westand northwest), Sacrificial stones representing Goddess Durga (between thenorthwest and north) and Nirmalyadhari (between the north and northeast in theform of a Shivalinga - here Ghosavati ) can be seen here. All of these are nowgold-plated. Sacrifices are made here during Shivali. Sacrificial stones arebelieved to be the emotions of the god/goddess. Therefore, stepping on them ortouching them with the head is prohibited. Pooja Timings Morning Palli Unarthal: 4am Nada Thurakal 4.30 am NirmalyaDarshanam4.35am Deeparadhana 5.30 am Ushapooja 7 am Sree Bali 7.15 am Uchha pooja 10.30 am Uchcha Sree Bali 10.45 am Nada Adaykkal 11 am Evening Nada Thurakkal 5pm Deeparadhana 6.30 pm Aththazha Pooja 8pmSree Bali 8.15 pm Nada Adaykkal 8.30pm Saturdays Nada Adaykkal (Morning) 11.30 am Nada Thurakal (Evening) 4.30 pm Nada Adaykkal 8.45 pm All ceremonies and offerings, including the Nityaseeveli, asin the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, are regularly performed . Monthlyauspicious days like Pradosham, Shashti and Ayilyam are observed here.Saneeswara Puja is held on the evening of the first Saturday of every month. The above are the rituals for ordinary days. These willchange on special days (e.g., Kodiyettutsavam, Panchuni Utram, Mandalakalam) ,on days when there is Udayasthamana Puja , and on days when there is aneclipse. There will be eighteen pujas on days when there is Udayasthamana Puja.When the pujas are completed on that day and the temple is closed, it will beten o'clock at night. Ondays when there is an eclipse, the temple is closed half an hour before itbegins, and only after that, the purification rituals are performed. Festivals Festivals like Pradosham, Shashti and Ayilyam are celebratedevery month. On the evenings of the first Saturday of every month, theSaneeswara Pooja is a special occasion. This is one of the rare temples inThiruvananthapuram that houses the auspicious Navagrahas. During Mandalakalam, many devotees begin their pilgrimage toSabarimala from this temple. The five-day Kodiyettu festival, culminating with the Aarattuceremony, is a major attraction during this period. The Panguni Uthram festivalin the month of Meenam is another significant event celebrated at the temple. My note- It is worthy to make a note that about a week back only navagraprathisha has been done atSabarimala temple according to Deva prasna. Mandala-Makaravilakku are the main festivals in this temple.Shivarathri, Navarathri, Thypooyam, Ashtami Rohini, Hanuman Jayanthi etc. areall celebrated. Specialties The shrine is one among the 108 Ayyappan Kavukal mentioned inThottam Pattu. It was known as Thycaud Kavu. The Sastha worshipped in the temple is along with spouse andson. The sreekovil is square in shape and the deity faces east.The temple has gopuram, anapanthal, flag post, nalambalam and balikkalukal. The main balikkal is at a very low height in contradiction to othertemples. The murti of Sree Dharma Sastha has the sankalpam ofDhanwanthari holding the auspicious Neelathamara in his right hand. This is avery rare form of Dharmasastha. Annadanam Mahadanam The adjacent land in front of the temple was acquired and athree-storey Oottupura complex built there at a cost of Rs 1 crore. TheOottupura has been serving daily meals to devotees based on the principle of"Annadanam Mahadanam". The Thycaud Sree Dharma Sastha Temple has beenelevated as one of the few temples in Thiruvananthapuram that provides dailyfood to the needy. Rituals & Ceremonies Address Dharma Sastha temple, Near Government Arts College,Radhakrishnan Road, Thycaud-695014Phone-04712324560 Administration At present, there are three temples in Thiruvananthapuramfunctioning under the auspicesof the NSS Thiruvananthapuram Taluk Karayoga Union. Prominent amongthem is the Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, a centuries-old shrine located atThycaud in the capital city of Kerala. Location The distance from the temple to ThiruvananthapuramInternational Airport is 8 km and to the Central Railway Station and BusStation is 1.5 km. Temple Opening hours: 4:00 AM-11:00 AM, 5:00 PM-8:30 PM Address: Ward No 28, 199 MG Radhakrishnan Road Near Government ArtsCollege Sastha Garden, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014, -- 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/18997464.2101387.1753445407112%40mail.yahoo.com.
