Flipping Through the Forgotten Ramayanas of Wayanad The great Indian epics are so integral to our civilization that they cut across all the barriers of geography, language, caste or religion.
One may wonder what Wayanad has to do with the Ramayana. Isn’t it far away from Ayodhya? The beauty of Indian epics is that every community in every part of the country has made it their own. This is not just restricted to the present borders of India but includes the old Indosphere, which stretches from Afghanistan to the Philippines; you will find something related to the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. There are many tribal and non-tribal communities in Wayanad, and each has its own Ramayanas. Many believe that the events of Ramayana happened within the confines of the jungles and hills of Wayanad and not in distant Ayodhya or Lanka. They believe Valmiki lived in Wayanad, and Sita gave birth to Lava and Kusha here. My journey was to see such places and interact with people whose belief in the Ramayana was as strong as those who believe the areas associated with the Ramayana are in Uttar Pradesh. As per the beliefs of the tribal communities, this is the place where Lakshmana had brought a pregnant Sita in his chariot. He was following his brother’s orders to abandon her. As per Bhavabhuti’s "Uttararamacarita," a classical Sanskrit play, Sita expresses her wish to see beautiful jungles and tranquil lakes they had visited during their exile of 14 years. She says to her husband that she was most happy during that period. He promises her that he will make arrangements to take her to those places again. Sita was not aware then, but Rama was a disturbed man at that time. The rumours about his people gossiping about his wife’s chastity had started troubling him. He had decided to abandon her but didn’t have the courage to tell her about his cruel act. He tells her that as he is busy with ruling Ayodhya, Lakshmana would take her to those beautiful jungles again. Trusting her husband, unaware of the fate awaiting her, she goes with Lakshmana in her chariot from Ayodhya. Lakshmana reaches a small brook in a beautiful jungle and tells Sita the truth that Rama has abandoned her. Without waiting for her reply, he flees in the chariot, leaving Sita all alone in the jungle. A shocked Sita breaks into sobs and cries uncontrollably, which Bhavabhuti describes with poignant beauty in his classical Sanskrit play. Standing at the banks of the Ponkuzhy lake, one wonders whether Bhavabhuti had visited this place when he wrote his drama. The description of the forests and lakes looks closer to this distant corner of India than the dry jungles of central India. Perhaps, this place had preserved its pristine nature for thousands of years and all parts of India used to be like this. The tribals revere the lake as they believe it is made of Sita’s tears. It also is the tears of all humans and creatures, whose love is unrequited. Those are the tears of loneliness, abandonment, and ironically, of iron determination. As per the local folklore, after crying for days, and filling an entire lake with her tears, Sita decides she would not give up. She promises herself that she would bring up her children by herself and make them better than anyone else. Perhaps, she was the world’s first single mother. She blesses the lake to flow eastwards and join Kabini, which again joins Kaveri. From her tears, thus a river is born that sustains a civilisation. She is the daughter of earth and the tribals worship her as their mother. Valmiki Maharishi meets Sita in this place as per the tribal folklore. There is a Lord Rama temple nearby, to mark this place. It has idols of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita and is ancient. People come to do pitru tarpan, the death rites for their ancestors in the river that flows from the tear lake. There is another temple for Sita and her beloved son, Hanuman. Sita considers Hanuman as her eldest son. The tree nearby looks like the simian kingdom, with monkeys screeching their heart out and doing their acrobatics. There is a Valmiki Ashram nearby. We leave to Ashramamkolli in Amarakuni hamlet, on the Pulpalli route. The Ramayana was written here as per the local belief. One wouldn’t be surprised as the tranquility of this place is capable of making a poet of anyone, let alone a literary genius like Valmiki. Nearby, there is a crude hut, with mud and cowdung plaster and thatched with Darbha grass. This place is rebuilt every year by Nayaka tribes, who carry the grass to thatch the roof from deep inside the jungle. It is an offering to Mata Sita. None of the trappings of Brahmanical temples are there in this humble, spiritually charged place. There are a few brass lamps given as offerings by city dwellers. But other than that there is nothing else, not even an idol. This is the place where Sita gave birth to Lava and Kusha as per the local belief and hence, is considered the holiest of holy places for the tribals. There is a hibiscus (mandaram) tree in front of the thatched temple. Every day, this tree yields two flowers which are used as offerings for Lava and Kusha. We stood under the tree, watching the pink flowers. They aren’t plucked, but have to fall down before being offered. Hurting no creatures, even a tree by plucking its flowers, is a part of the tribal ethos. Only for food, a part of sustenance, they can kill or hurt any being. I was learning new lessons or perhaps, relearning things that humans have always intuitively known. There is a formal temple some distance away, built in typical Kerala style. The speciality of this temple is that it is dedicated to Lava, Kusha and Sita together, making it perhaps one of the rare temples in India. Most parts of Wayanad are thickly forested even now. The forest floor is full of leeches. However, for about 24,000 acres around this temple where Lava and Kusha grew up, there are none. The legend goes that after having attacked baby Lava and Kusha, these leeches were commanded away by Sita and even now you will find no sign of them. The forest floor is full of leeches. However, for about 24,000 acres around this temple, you will find not even one. The formal temple was also witness to an important historic event. In the early 1800s, Pazhassi Raja, the king of Kottayam and Wayanad, had made this area his military headquarters in his fight with the British from 1793 to his martyrdom in 1805. Varma had led an army of Kurichiyar tribals and Nair troops and had defeated the famous Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington in the battle of Panamaram with his army of tribals armed with bamboo bows and arrows. Pazhassi was later betrayed and killed in Wayanad, like many others in our history. This temple premise was the headquarters and feeding place of his army and was surrounded by impenetrable tropical forest in that era. A kilometre away is a unique place called Jadayattakavu. This place is holy for the tribals because this is the only place where all the major characters of the Ramayana were together. Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughana, all the family members, Hanuman, Lava, Kusha, Sita and Valmiki stood at this place during the reunion of Rama with his children and wife. This was the ground where Lava and Kusha had tied up the Aswamedha horse of Rama and defeated his entire army, including Hanuman. Sita had brought up her children to make them into great warriors who could even defeat their father and Vanara army that vanquished Ravana. Seetha Devi-Hanuman Temple blends Ramayana lore with Kerala's traditional architecture What could be a sweeter revenge? What could be a bigger statement of who Sita was? Hence, Sita is the prominent deity for the tribals and locals more than Rama. The place got the name as Jadayattakavu for a reason. After reunion, where Bhavabhuti ends his plot of "Uttararamacarita," the actual drama begins. Rama asks for another agni pariksha from Sita. A devastated Sita pleads to Mother Earth to take her back. Sita was born from the womb of earth and she returns to the womb. She had done her duty as a mother and she had nothing left to live for. As she is being swallowed by earth, an anguished Rama rushes to her and grabs her hair. However, the hair gets torn off her scalp and Sita vanishes. Rama breaks down into tears and throws the hair, which grows into groves. Hence, for the tribals, every tree and grass around is Sita’s hair. They remain on earth, sustaining countless lives. As if to underline the story, the jungle around is teeming with life. Unlike the literary Ramayanas, the folk narratives are rich with life and symbolism and their connection with nature is stronger. One needs to be immersed in such places to visualise, to feel, to breath the stories such places offer. For thousands of years, such beliefs, localised and intense, is what enhanced our civilisation. II All of this would have been one mighty green forest some 5,000 years ago, when the Pandavas came down from the north, crossing Kanchi and River Kaveri. I have on good authority from Wikipedia that the six approached over the Nilgiri hills, passing through a place that has since come to be known as Sairandhri (an alias of Draupadi), into “a magical valley where rolling grasslands dipped into wooded ravines, where a deep green river bubbled its course through impenetrable forest, where at dawn and twilight the tiger and elephant would drink together at the water’s edge, where all was harmonious and man unknown”. The magical place they stumbled upon is today the Silent Valley National Park. But that was not the last that Kerala saw of the Pandavas. They came again, after the war, after regaining their kingdom. Having either killed or got most of their relatives killed, they were understandably a bit upset and wanted to do penance and pray for the departed souls. Again, they headed for the same area, this time spending time at a place that has now come to be known as Ivor Madom (loose translation: sanctuary of the five). After a sustained season of prayers and many baths in the Bharatapuzha to wash away their sins, the Pandavas went back rejuvenated, to rebuild their kingdom and rule prosperously. It goes without saying that Draupadi got her wish of a lengthy married life, marred only by the yearly switch of husbands as per agreement, which I am told she managed with supreme sensitivity and extreme dignity. [EPICS RETOLD BOOK SAYS SO] III Other than this, there is no evidence of Ramayana or Mahabhartham having taken Place from here at all K Rajaram IRS 5126 On Mon, 5 Jan 2026 at 17:52, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty < [email protected]> wrote: > The Thrichittatt Mahavishnu Temple Chengannur, Alappuzha District, Kerala, > South India. > > Introduction > > The Thrichittatt Mahavishnu Temple (also called Imayavarappan temple) is a > Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Chengannur, Alappuzha > District, Kerala, South India. > > Constructed in the Kerala style of architecture, the temple is glorified > in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, by Nammalvar, one of the Sri Vaishnava > saint-poets of the 8th century called the Alvars. *It is one of the 108 > Divya Desams dedicated to Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, who is worshipped > as Imayavarappan*. > > The nearest railway station to the temple is located in Chengannur, while > the nearest airports are Trivandrum International Airport and Cochin > International Airport Ernakulam. > > It is one of the five ancient shrines in the Chengannur area of Kerala*, > connected with the legend of Mahabharata,* where the five Pandavas are > believed to have built one temple each; *Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu Temple > by Yudhishthira,* Puliyur Mahavishnu Temple by Bhima, Aranmula > Parthasarathy Temple by Arjuna, Thiruvanvandoor Mahavishnu Temple by Nakula > and Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple by Sahadeva. > > Key Details: > > Deity: Sri Imayavarappa Perumal (Lord Vishnu). > > Goddess: Sengamala Valli Thaayar. > > Significance: One of the 108 Divya Desams, part of the Chengannur Pancha > (five) temples, and linked to the Mahabharata. > > Architecture: Kerala style, Dravidian. > > Legends: Believed to have been built by Yudishtira after the Mahabharata > war; the Pandavas installed Vishnu idols along the Pamba River. > > Glorified By: Nammalwar in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. > > Nearby: Chengannur Railway Station is the nearest, and it's accessible via > NH 47. > > Legend > > It is one of the five ancient shrines in the Chengannur area of Kerala, > connected with the legend of Mahabharata. *Legend has it that the Pandava > princes, after crowning Parikshit as king of Hastinapura left on a > pilgrimage. On arriving on the banks of river Pamba, each one is believed > to have installed a tutelary image of Krishna.* Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu > Temple was installed by Yudhishthira as told earlier. > > During the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, who > never before uttered a lie, lied in one instant to defeat his guru, Drona. > To overcome the sin of the lie, according to this temple's regional legend, > he underwent penance worshiping Vishnu here. The (devas) came to this > place prior to Yudhishthira and hence the deity here is referred as > Imayavarappar. > > There is another version that the Pandavas worshipped the idols during the > reign and started installing them in different places during the end of the > reign. > > Thiruchittattu temple, is considered to be one among the 108 most sacred > place of worship, where it is *believed Vishnu himself resides.* > > The temple is believed to have been built by devas along the banks of > Chittar, a tributary of holy river Pampa, before mankind was born. The > temple, was then renovated, by Yudhishthira in Dvapara Yuga. The temple is > considered to be the primary temple among the five Mahavishnu Temples built > by Pandavas. > > In Dvapara Yuga, the Pandavas resided at present day Chengannur for a > large duration of their exile, hence, after the passing of deity Krishna, > Sage Bhrigu persuaded the Pandavas to consecrate four sacred temples in the > vicinity, to the deity, who was their guide and protector in Mahabharata. > > This would allow daily offerings and pooja to be carried out on the > benevolent deity, in the form of the Thevaram, not only by Pandavas but > also all the people who helped Pandavas survive during the exile. The > Pandavas, maintained and performed puja in the five temples till their > swargarohanam (Auspicious journey to Vaikuntham) > > Yudhishthira on renovation of the temple, installed the Thevara Moorthy of > Vishnu with a tutelary image of the deity Krishna. > > Legend > > It is one of the five ancient shrines in the Chengannur area of Kerala, > connected with the legend of Mahabharata. *Legend has it that the Pandava > princes, after crowning Parikshit as king of Hastinapura left on a > pilgrimage. On arriving on the banks of river Pamba, each one is believed > to have installed a tutelary image of Krishna.* Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu > Temple was installed by Yudhishthira as told earlier. > > During the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, who > never before uttered a lie, lied in one instant to defeat his guru, Drona. > To overcome the sin of the lie, according to this temple's regional legend, > he underwent penance worshiping Vishnu here. The (devas) came to this > place prior to Yudhishthira and hence the deity here is referred as > Imayavarappar. > > There is another version that the Pandavas worshipped the idols during the > reign and started installing them in different places during the end of the > reign. > > Thiruchittattu temple, is considered to be one among the 108 most sacred > place of worship, where it is *believed Vishnu himself resides.* > > The temple is believed to have been built by devas along the banks of > Chittar, a tributary of holy river Pampa, before mankind was born. The > temple, was then renovated, by Yudhishthira in Dvapara Yuga. The temple is > considered to be the primary temple among the five Mahavishnu Temples built > by Pandavas. > > In Dvapara Yuga, the Pandavas resided at present day Chengannur for a > large duration of their exile, hence, after the passing of deity Krishna, > Sage Bhrigu persuaded the Pandavas to consecrate four sacred temples in the > vicinity, to the deity, who was their guide and protector in Mahabharata. > > This would allow daily offerings and pooja to be carried out on the > benevolent deity, in the form of the Thevaram, not only by Pandavas but > also all the people who helped Pandavas survive during the exile. The > Pandavas, maintained and performed puja in the five temples till their > swargarohanam (Auspicious journey to Vaikuntham) > > Yudhishthira on renovation of the temple, installed the Thevara Moorthy of > Vishnu with a tutelary image of the deity Krishna. > > Legend > > It is one of the five ancient shrines in the Chengannur area of Kerala, > connected with the legend of Mahabharata. *Legend has it that the Pandava > princes, after crowning Parikshit as king of Hastinapura left on a > pilgrimage. On arriving on the banks of river Pamba, each one is believed > to have installed a tutelary image of Krishna.* Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu > Temple was installed by Yudhishthira as told earlier. > > During the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, who > never before uttered a lie, lied in one instant to defeat his guru, Drona. > To overcome the sin of the lie, according to this temple's regional legend, > he underwent penance worshiping Vishnu here. The (devas) came to this > place prior to Yudhishthira and hence the deity here is referred as > Imayavarappar. > > There is another version that the Pandavas worshipped the idols during the > reign and started installing them in different places during the end of the > reign. > > Thiruchittattu temple, is considered to be one among the 108 most sacred > place of worship, where it is *believed Vishnu himself resides.* > > The temple is believed to have been built by devas along the banks of > Chittar, a tributary of holy river Pampa, before mankind was born. The > temple, was then renovated, by Yudhishthira in Dvapara Yuga. The temple is > considered to be the primary temple among the five Mahavishnu Temples built > by Pandavas. > > In Dvapara Yuga, the Pandavas resided at present day Chengannur for a > large duration of their exile, hence, after the passing of deity Krishna, > Sage Bhrigu persuaded the Pandavas to consecrate four sacred temples in the > vicinity, to the deity, who was their guide and protector in Mahabharata. > > This would allow daily offerings and pooja to be carried out on the > benevolent deity, in the form of the Thevaram, not only by Pandavas but > also all the people who helped Pandavas survive during the exile. The > Pandavas, maintained and performed puja in the five temples till their > swargarohanam (Auspicious journey to Vaikuntham) > > Yudhishthira on renovation of the temple, installed the Thevara Moorthy of > Vishnu with a tutelary image of the deity Krishna. > > Another legend > > The perumal took the Mohini Avatharam to protect Lord Shiva from Padmasura. > Once, there lived an Asuran (Demon) named “Sugan”. He had a son by > Padmaasuran. He got many varams by doing various tapas. Likewise, he got a > peculiar Varam from Lord Shiva that if anyone's head is touched over > anyone's head, he should be turned into ash. > > After getting the Varam, he wanted to kill Lord Shiva who gave him the > Varam and ran from him and seeked the help from Sriman Narayanan. Even > the Deva Loga Kanniyars like Rambai, Oorvasi, Thilothamai tried to change > his concentration by showing their presence in front of him. But, they > feared coming in front of him because they thought he might put his hand on > their heads. *At that time, Sriman Narayanan took the most beautiful > Mohini Avatar and came in front of Padmaasuran*. On seeing the beauty of > the Mohini, he stood without moving and wanted to get the happiness of her > beauty. At that time, Mohini who was actually Sriman Narayanan, said after > having the oil bath, he can get happiness from her. > > On hearing this, Padmaasuran felt very happy and went towards the tank > (Pushkarani) to have the oil bath. As soon as he applied the oil on his > head, his hand touched his head and at that second, he was turned to ash. And > finally, Sriman Narayanan who took the Mohini Avatar saved Lord Shiva. At > that time, Sriman Narayanan gave his pratyaksham for Rudhran (Lord Shiva). > > The perumal is Imayavarappan, found in Nindra thirukkolam facing towards > west direction .Appan means father and in this sthalam , Imaya varappan > is giving his blessings and seva in the father Sthanam (stage). > > *To explain that Lord Shiva and Sriman Narayanan are equal, a very big > shivan temple is also found in this sthalam.* > > History > > Earliest references to this temple appear in the poems and hymns composed > by the greatest of Alvar saints - Nammalvar, in *circa 800 CE*. > > Stone inscriptions in the temple date it back to the Second Chera Empire (800 > - 1102 *CE*). > > There are no historical records to indicate when the temple was built. As > per local legend, the temple was believed to have been built by devas. > > Architecture > > The temple is built in Kerala style architecture, common in all temples in > the South Indian state of Kerala in Eastern axis. The temple has an arch > from the main road. A rectangular wall around the temple, called > Kshetra-Madilluka pierced by the gateways, encloses all the shrines of the > temple. The metal plated flag post or dvajasthambam is located axial to the > temple tower leading to the central sanctum. Chuttuambalam is the outer > pavilion within the temple walls. The central shrine and the associated > hall is located in a rectangular structure called Naalambalam, which has > pillared halls and corridors. Between the entrance of Nallambalam to the > sanctum, there is a raised square platform called Namaskara Mandapa which > has a pyramidal roof. Thidappali, the kitchen used to cook offering to the > deity is located on the left of Namaskara Mandapa from the entrance. > Balithara is an altar is used for making ritualistic offering to demi-gods > and the festive deities. > > Sanctum > > The central shrine called Sreekovil houses the image of the presiding > deity. It is on an elevated platform with a single door reached through > five steps. As per Kerala rituals, only the main priest called Thantri and > the second priest called Melshanthi alone can enter the Sree Kovil. The > central shrine has a circular plan with the base built of granite, > superstructure built of laterite and conical roof made of terracotta tile > supported from inside by a wooden structure. > > Deity > > This unique idol, is facing east in a standing posture, with four arms, > holding the - Panchajanya (conch) in the upper right hand, Sudarshana > Chakra (discus) in the upper left hand, and a lotus in the lower right > hand. The lower left hand is free, however Vishnu idols generally have > the Kaumodaki (mace) in this hand. > > The image of the presiding deity is 4 ft (1.2 m) tall. Krishna is in his > vishvarupa pose, the one he depicted to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War. > > > > Sub deities and idol. > > In the second precinct, there are shrines of Sastha, Yakshi, Nagaraja and > Erangavil Bhagavathy and idol of Balarama in the lower shrine. > > Temple pond- Amurtha Pushkarani > > Yudhishthira after having a holy bath, installed the idols after immersing > it in the Pushkarani (Pond), filling the Conch with its water and performed > the first Pooja after installation. > > Hence, *the pond at Thrichittat is named as - Amurtha Pushkarani*, since > the idol was immersed in it and as - Shankha Tirtham, on the occasion of > the pond's water filling the Conch, therefore, worshipping at Shankha > Tirtham, is considered equivalent to that of Sree Kovil (Sanctum Sanctorum > of the Temple), and full darshanam is complete when both places are > worshipped. > > Poojas > > The daily poojas at the Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu Temple (Imayavarappa > Perumal Temple) in Chengannur follow a traditional Kerala temple schedule, > starting very early with Ushathkalam (around 5:30 AM) and progressing > through Kalasanthi, Uchikalam, Sayarakshai, and Irandamkalam, culminating > in Ardha Jamam (around 10:00 PM), with the temple open from roughly 4 AM to > 11 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM, featuring distinct timings for these six daily > rituals. > > Here's a breakdown of the daily pooja schedule (approximate timings): > > Temple Opens: Around 4:00 AM. > > Ushathkalam: Around 5:30 AM (First Pooja). > > Kalasanthi: Around 8:00 AM (Second Pooja). > > Uchikalam: Around 10:00 AM (Midday Pooja). > > Temple Closes (Midday): Around 11:00 AM. > > Temple Reopens (Evening): Around 5:00 PM. > > Sayarakshai: Around 6:00 PM (Evening Pooja). > > Irandamkalam: Around 8:00 PM (Second Evening Pooja). > > Ardha Jamam: Around 10:00 PM (Final Pooja). > > Temple Closes (Night): Around 8:00 PM (though Ardha Jamam is late). > > These timings are characteristic of many Vishnu temples, especially those > in the Divya Desam circuit, ensuring continuous worship throughout the day > for Lord Imayavarappa Perumal. > > *My note*- It is confirmed from AI that daily seevelies are there in the > temple like other Lord Krishna temples > > Festivals > > The major festivals celebrated in the temple are Vaikuntha Ekadashi and > Temple festival is at Atham to Thiruvonam (10days)in meenam Month of ME.and > Sreekrishna jayanthi as janmastami (Astami -Rohini) . > > *From 1957, the festival of Gosala Krishna Temple at* Thiruvanvandoor > commences from Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu temple when 25 caparisoned > elephants are paraded to the Thiruvanvandoor. > > > > Temple timings > > The temple is open from 5:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm > > Administration > > The temple is administered by Travancore Devaswom Board of the Government > of Kerala. > > Location > > By Road- National Highway NH 47 passes through the city Chengannur > connecting the city to other major cities like Coimbatore, Ernakulam, > Thrissur, Kollam, Trivandrum etc. The state run KSRTC buses connecting the > city from all other major cities. > > By Train- The nearest railway station to reach Sri Imayavarappa Perumal > Temple is Chengannur railway station. > > By Air- The nearest airports to reach Sri Imayavarappa Perumal temple is > Trivandrum > International Airport and Cochin international airport. > > Address of the temple > > Thrichittat Vishnu temple, Chengannur, Kerala 689121 > > Compiled from different websites and posted by R.Gopalakrishnan Dated > 5-1-2026 > > > > -- > 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/1907782010.3871115.1767615769823%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1907782010.3871115.1767615769823%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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