Sakthi Thamil Changam - English articles                                     

THE SACRED STONE FOR EXORCIST RITUAL

Kerala state is very famous for its Devi goddess] temples. There are 108 Devi temples considered to be very important. Our ancestors have studied each and every aspect of human life in detail.

Our ancestors have concentrated much in human psychology. Modern medicine has started accepting the fact of '' mind and health''. But in ancient India , the Aayur vedic and Siddha medicinal systems have focused mainly on mental health parallely to physical health.

All great civilizations believe in black magic, spirits and evil energy as devils, ghosts and demy gods. People believe that human beings are often affected by these negative forces and the life becomes sorrowful.

But Indians has made the real spiritualism as the treatment for such patients. We will never feel bad our life and tough timings , if we visit a place called  Chotranikara near Ernakulam city.

It is a very famous Devi shrine in our nation . It is the place were the mentally disturbed patients are treated without any medication. The rituals and  chants alone will cure them. If we see the patients and their family   suffering , we will thank God for making us to live as such. One will give up the desire for wealth and fame if he or she observe the mental illness of such patients.

Chotranikara Bahavathy:

Chotranikara is actually named as '' Jothy yalundha kara''. It means the river bank where goddess appeared as a flame. It is near Ernakulam city. It is very small town with many cottages and hotels. The shrine is very famous for the exorcism and  ancestral rituals.

The temple has very strong link with Kannagi. Let us enter into the temple. The main shrine is located on a raised altar. We need to be there at 4 A.M to see an auspicious deity.

By 4 A.M when the conch blew , the doors are opened. Inside the small sanctum we can see a 5 feet height rock and a small rock also near by. The rocks are dark in color. They are considered as Goddess and Krishna . The goddess is form less and priests clean the sandal paste and flowers from the idols [ rocks].

Then they start washing the idols with cold water . There is a small golden disc as thaale fixed to the idol. Then the idol is decorated and rituals will be done. This idol is Devi Bahavathy. She is decorated as Saraswathy [ goddess of wisdom] in morning with pur white garments and jewels.

By 11 A.M the golden mask of the goddess will be fixed to the rock and decorated as Mahalaxmi [ goddess of wealth] Green , yellow garments will be used to depict wealth.

The golden mask :

The golden mask of the goddess is very big. She showers the true motherly love and affection from her eyes which cures all the mental and physical disturbances. She has 4 hands. She bears a conch and disc . 2 other hands show the symbol of give abode and blessing. The mask will be decorated with unique jewels like in Kodungalloor . Plenty of flowers , lemons adorn her mask. The shrine is illuminated with many ghee lamps.

By evening, the goddess will decorated as   Durga [ goddess of power] with red cloths. By 7 P.M she will be decorated as Kaali [ the ultimate source of universal energy] with blue cloths.

Then the tiny golden idol  of goddess will be taken around the shrine on an elephant for 3 times. I am explaining other rituals and legends about this temple now.

I was made to focus on the tiny golden idol. The goddess has 2 hands holding an anklet and sword. Haa !!! she is Kannagi! My mind just woke up and started searching for her foot prints . How Kannagi came to this place? I was waiting to go home soon to refer the literature.

Who saved the sacred rock?

Silappathykaaram says that there was a sacred dark stone in the central part of Poompuhar city. People who were disturbed by black magic, disease and evil energy were made to stay near this stone for few days. They believed that the stone will cure their mental and physical hazards. People lived in that city has respected the stone and worshipped.

This little piece of information made me to think a lot. What has happened to this stone. When the city got washed away by the early tsunami waves,  many important historical objects must have been saved. When Kannagi's jewels and other things were saved; the Chera king must have saved this stone and the huge Shetrabalaka idol from Poompuhar city and installed here.

The goddess is decorated as Durga, Laxmi and Saraswathy. This temple is very famous for this type of decoration. Why they need to do the rituals like this? Again we need to see Silappathykaaram text.

Elango adikal praises Kannagi as the incarnation of all the three goddesses who killed Pandiya king and burnt Madurai. So our ancient Tamils respected women as the incarnation of goddess. This cult must have introduced the ritual methods in Chotranikara.

I have heared from few priests that even Kodungalloor amma has been worshipped as the 3 forms of goddesses in olden days. So Chotranikara temple is an another place linked with Kannagi cult. Let us travel towards  Thiruvanandhapuram city - the state capital.

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