Thirunavaya Nava Mukunda Temple

Brief on the temple:

In pasurams of Tirumangaialwar and Nammalwar, Thirunavaya is refered as Thirunavai, Lord Vishnu as Sree Nava Mukunda Perumal and Thayar (Mahalakshmi) as Malar Mangai Naachiyaar or Sirudevi.

Thiruvanaya Navamukunda Temple, near Ponnani in Malappuram district is situated on the banks of the river Bharathapuzha. Thirunavaya was once the capital of Perumpadapu Swaroopam. It is indeed the cradle of culture in northern Kerala. Holding immense historical importance, this is the place where 'Mamangam', a grand assembly of the rulers of Kerala was held once every 12 years, in olden times. This extravagant festival was held for the last time in 1755 AD. The famous and ancient Thirunavaya Temple, known throughout the country as an ancient teaching-centre of the Vedas, was once plundered and destroyed by Tipu Sultan's army. It was the Zamorin who repaired the temple later.

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Temple History:

This is the place were Nava yogis (Sathuvanathar, Saaloga nathar, Aadhinathar, Arulithanathar, Madhanga Nathar, Macchendira Nathar, Kadayanthira Nathar, Korakkanathar and Kukkudanathar) worshipped Vishnu. Vishnu gave darsan for Nava yogi. Hence this place is called Thirunavayogi and later changed in to Thirunaavaya. In due course, 8 yogis attained moksha and the vigrahams worshipped by them also disappeared and as a result of this, the ninth yogi got dejected and stopped offering worship to Vishnu. When questioned by Perumal, he said that he was missing his companions and Perumal with his maya showed the 8 yogis. The 8 yogis agreed to stay there but said that they would be invisible to human eyes and the 9th yogi could feel their presence. In due course, the 9th yogi requested Perumal to make him also invisible. But Perumal insisted that the vigraham worshipped by the 9th yogi must be kept there itself and Perumal blessed the 9 yogis saying that they could offer worship to Him at that place forever. Hence, what we see now is the vigraham worshipped by the 9th yogi.

Goddess Mahalakshmi and Gajendra (Indradyumna) used to offer lotus flowers for worshipping Perumal. As Lakshmi Devi would pluck the flowers for aaradhana daily before Gajendran, the elephant got dejected and approached Perumal and told that henceforth it had to go elsewhere to get lotuses for Perumal. As Perumal did not want his devotee to get dejected, He appeared before Goddess Mahalakshmi and Gajendran and said that Thayar could be with Him and accept the offerings made by Gajendran. Hence, this is the only divya desam, in Kerala which has a separate Sreekovil for Maha Lakshmi (Thayar).

It is a usual practice in Kerala temples that after installing an idol, the Sreekovil would remain closed for 7 days with the belief that the devas would offer pooja to the idol. In this temple, first a vigraham was installed and the Sreekovil was kept closed for 7 days. But when the doors opened, they were shocked to see the idol missing. They again brought another idol and the idol disappeared. This went on for 8 times and on the 9th time, out of curiosity, when they opened the temple doors before the scheduled time, they were shocked to see that the idol had descended into the earth upto the knee. To prevent further descent of the idol, They immediately chanted various mantras and saw to it that the idol did not descend further. It is believed that when the idol would descend into the earth, Kaliyuga will come to an end.

Thirunavaya is considered equivalent to Varanasi because of the presence of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma temples. It is a well known story that Markandeya was destined to die at th age of 16. When Lord Yama came to take his life, the little boy ran into this temple and prayed to Perumal to save him. Perumal appeared before the boy and gave him a Shiva linga for worship and advised the boy to escape from the backside entrance. He assured that Lord Shiva would take care of him. As soon as Markandeya escaped from the backside, Perumal placed a big stone and closed the way permanently and ensured that Yama could not enter the way. To this day, the door behind Perumal remains closed. Markandeya worshiped Shiva near to this temple and the place where Lord Shiva gave darsan to Markandeya and killed Yama, is now famous as the Truppangottu Shiva Temple - one among 108 Shivalayams.

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History and Heritage:

The nine spiritually enlightened sons of 'Hrishabha', the King of Ayodhya, known as 'Navayogis' (Nine ascetics), were constant travelers. During their sojourn, they reached the confluence of the rivers 'Bagmathi' and 'Gantaki' from where the eldest son, Kavi, got a Salagrama of Vishnu. Salagramas are stones found in the Gantaki river basin in Nepal, with special marks like spiral, chakras, thread, etc. formed on them and considered as sacred with the presence of God Vishnu. "Install this Salagrama at the most holy place for the welfare of mankind", Kavi heard an 'asareeri' ( the divine prompting voice).

Kavi travelled all over India in search of the befitting place for the installation of the salagrama and placed it on the north bank of Bharatappuzha at Thirunavaya, where Vishnu himself, whom the salagrama represented, had stayed during a 'Yaga' conducted by Brahma on the South bank. Kavi left the place complacent that his duty was over, but the salagrama sank into the earth. Then his seven brothers brought other salagramas of Vishnu and repeated the process and these also sank deep into the earth.

At last, the youngest of the brothers, Karabhajanan, came to the same place and knew of the futile attempts of his brothers. He knew that this happened because, the proper rituals that should have been performed at the time of the installation were not performed. He installed the Salagrama, as Mukunda bestowing 'Moksha' to the departed souls with all necessary rituals. This time the installation was successful. Later these nine brothers (Navayogis) came to this place and performed a 'Yaga' (or 'Yajna', meaning 'ritual of sacrifice') for the appeasement of the gods and the welfare of the people. The place was thus known as 'Tirunavayogi', in memory of the nine brothers, and the word transformed, as time passed, to the present form 'Thirunavaya'.

This temple, 'The Navamukunda Temple' is one of the oldest Vishnu temples in Kerala. It dates back to the last period of the 'Dwaapara Yuga'.The main daily offerings for worship are Ney Vilakku (lamp lighted with ghee), Thaamara maala ( Lotus garlands) and Paal paayasam (Porridge/Dessert or Kheer made of rice cooked in sweetened milk). For unhindered availability of lotus flowers, one of the Maharajas of Travancore had constructed a vast pond of lotus plants nearby, and donated it to this temple. 

The temple and the surrounding region were under the rule of 'Cheraman Perumals' and later under 'Vettathu Rajas' who owed allegiance to Perumals. After demise of the last Vettathu Raja in 1793 AD, The British East India Company who, by this time became the rulers of this region, handed over this temple to Kozhikode Samoothiri Raja (the King Zamorin of Calicut) for its administration as 'Ooraalan'.
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Dieties in the temple:

Besides the Navamukunda (Vishnu) which is the main deity of the temple, there are two other deities in the Temple: Aadi Ganesa and Sree Mahalakshmi.

Aadi Ganesa:

Indradyumnan, a Pandya King, was a great devotee of Vishnu. When he became aged, he entrusted the administration to his sons and went to the Malayadri Mountains for 'Tapas' (self-purifying austerity and penance in lonely place). During his meditation there, he did not know the arrival of 'Agastya Muni' who, in uncontrolled anger, cursed Indradyumnan and turned him into an elephant.

Later on, when Indradyumnan begged him for delivery from the curse, Agastya Muni condescended and said that, Indradyumnan has to wander in the forest as elephant and after many years Vishnu would appear and would deliver him from the curse. When Indradyumnan, the elephant, reached Navamukunda temple, he stayed there worshipping Vishnu every day after taking bath in Bharathapuzha . One day during his bathing in the river Indradyumnan was attacked by a crocodile which was actually a 'Gandharvan' named Huhu who had been turned into a crocodile by the curse of a 'muni' (ascetic). Indradyumnan prayed Navamukunda to save him and Vishnu appeared on the spot and killed the crocodile with the Sudarsana Chakra and allowed Indradyumna to be seated on his right. Later the 'Chaitanya' (divine effulgence) of Lord Ganesa was recognized and Ganesa was installed in the South-West corner of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

Sree Mahalakshmi:

Aadi Ganesa who was a devotee of Vishnu used to get up early in the morning and pluck lotus flowers from a pond nearby and offer them to Navamukunda every day. On an 'Akshayathritheeya day', he did not get any flower, as somebody else had plucked them before his arrival to Pond. He wept before Navamukundan. Navamukundan appeared and told that his wife Sree Mahalakshmi, who had seen what Aadi Ganesa was doing and how much affection Ganesa was getting in return from her husband, wanted to do the same to get as much affection as Aadi Ganesa was getting.

As Aadi Ganesa continued pleading with Navamukunda for allowing him to carry on plucking of lotus flowers, Navamukunda seated Sree Mahalakshmi on his left so that she may no longer leave to pluck lotus flowers. It is believed that the idol was actually of Mahalakshmi in the form of 'Dhanalakshmi'- the goddess of wealth- who blessed the people of the region with plenty of wealth and prosperity. Later on Sree Sankaracharya came to the temple and prayed on his knees, not knowing exactly where the other eight Salagramas were lying beneath the earth. Some locals derided him about this. He understood that it was because of the cultural decay that resulted from the too much wealth that made them behave like this. So he struck at the right hand of Mahalakshmi and made it as 'Abhaya Mudra'. Gradually, people believe, the fiscal powers of the region declined.

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Daily Schedule in the temple:

On ordinary days, the portals of the temple open at 5 am with the sounding of the ceremonial conch to awaken the Lord. Then the usual morning rituals begin with 'Nirmalyadarsanam' (seeing the Lord in the previous day’s attire and ornaments), 'Abhishekam' (bathing/ablutions), 'Malarnivedyam' (offering of flowers), 'Alankaram' (makeup or a theme in which the idol will appear), 'Ushapooja' (morning rituals), 'Nivedya pooja' (morning rituals with offerings), 'Seeveli' (taking the idol out of the sanctum sanctorum) and 'Navakabhishekam' (ablutions with nine pots of water) followed by 'Pantheeradipooja' (pooja done when the shadow cast by the sun is 12 footsteps long), 'Nivedyam' (offering),'Utcha pooja' and 'Utchaseeveli' (taking the idol out at noon). Then the portals will be closed at 11.30 AM . 

At 5 pm the portals again open. There will be 'Deeparaadhana' (lighting of the ceremonial lamps and adoration), 'Nivedyam' (offerings), 'Aththazha pooja' (ritual at the time of supper), 'Aththazha seeveli' (taking the idol out after supper) and ' Thrippuka' (filling the sanctum sanctorum with the smoke from burning 8 holy aromatic materials after removing the costumes and ornaments from the body of the idol). At 7.30 pm the portals are closed. 

On certain days, starting from the1st of Malayalam month 'Vruschikam', 'Panchgavyabhishekam' ('Panchagavyam' -five products of the cow, viz., cow dung, cow urine, cow milk, curd, and ghee) will be done up to 41 days (called as the 'Mandala Kaalam') during November-December. In addition to Panchagavyabhishekam, on the 41st day 'kalabhabhishekam',also will be done. On 'Ekaadasi' (11th day after the no-moon day in Malayalam Month Kumbham), ie.,February- March, and on the day of the consecration of the temple and during the Annual Festival days in the Malayalam month Medam (April) this Panchagavyabhishekam will be done. Besides all these, on the days of 'Udayasthamana pooja' also this Panchagavyabhishekam is conducted.
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Festivals in the temple:

The main Ultsavam (Annual Festival) of this temple is for 10 days in April from the day on which the Festival Flag is hoisted, i.e., on Meda Sankramam. Meda Sankramam is the day on which the Sun moves North and reaches Medam Rasi. There will be all sorts of traditional festival rituals. There will be ceremonial parades with the Idol placed on sacred ornamented seat on elephants with Nettipattam', colourful ceremonial parasols decorated with silver beads, golden spangles, etc and accompanied by renowned artists playing traditional percussion and wind instruments.  

There will also be stage performances of religious theatrical arts and other traditional performing arts. The streets and houses will be decorated with hangings of woven tender coconut leaves. Thousands of worshippers and devotees from far and wide, men and women folk with relatives, irrespective of age, come in neat and colourful costumes, with ornaments and flowers and bring offerings making the festival days unforgettable.

Other Hindu religious festivals like the Ekadasi (eleventh day of the fortnight in which the moon waxes) in the Malayalam month Kumbha (Aquarius), known as Navamukunda Ekadasi, Ashtami Rohini (the birthday of Lord Krishna), Navarathri and all other Vaishnava (related to Vishnu) festivals are celebrated in this temple and attract thousands of devotees.

The vazhipadus (offerings) special to this temple during festivals are Paalpayasam (traditional Kerala rice kheer or dessert of rice cooked in milk), Neyvilakku (lighting of the lamps around the temple using ghee) and Thamaramaala (garland of Lotus flowers).

Each and every person arriving at the temple during the entire year, is provided with free meals which is known as 'Prasada Oottu' or 'Annadaanam' which is one of the most important Vazhipadu.

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How to reach here:

1.By Rail:
We can reach Ponnani after reaching Tirur which is at a distance of 19km from Ponnani
Tirur Railway Station is one of the major railway stations in the Malabar region. Almost every train stops here, connecting the Malappuram district to the rest of the country.
Guruvayur Railway Station is at a distance of 22km from Ponnani

2.By Road: 
The National Highway- 17 (Panvel - Kochi) passes through Ponnani
If we reach Tirur,it is well connected to the other cities by road, even though no National Highway passes through the town. The Chamravattom bridge connects Kochi with Kozhikode. There are regular buses plying between Tirur and cities like Malappuram, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Guruvayur, Thrissur and Coimbatore. There are a few private buses offering over night journey to Bangalore

3.By Air: 
Calicut International Airport is approximately 35 kilometres away from Tirur.