It is festival time in my homeland.Valliyoorkavu utsavam. Everybody might have enjoy.
The pictures are taken from the historical book of CN Gopalan Nair, first publshed on 1911.That was the only kind of book that gives some glimps of old Wayanad rather than Malabar Manuel. I read the MAlabar Manual in my age 30 and regreted of been late. My birth place is Mananthavady and Wayanad is a favourite to me always. But negleted the histoy and thought there is full of forest, and any historical importance will be minimal.I think we all study the local history more importantly from childhood curriculam.
I also regret I been studied sceince, and duze preciuos years in Medical College Calicut. I think I enjoyed a few months learning Arts in parellal college as an art student for BA.
Valliyoorkavu Melekkavu.
THE VALLURKAVU SHRINE
It is located 2 km from Mananthavady on bank of R.Kabani. In my childhood Valliyoorkave festval was the grand Celebration of all wayanad.I saw hundreds of Tribal population on the last 3 days of the festival.I noted noe of them entered in Melekave due to some strange reason. we. with our family members visited this Shrine frequently and they lies deep in my heart as golden specs.
I remember all the years the festival and annual exam in school came together and we boys could not enjoy the full freedom of celebration.
Now my friend Prajith VM posted a new photo in FB,thanks for his effort.
The following brief account of the above
shrine appears in the Malabar Gazetteer :
"About two miles from Manan toddy on the banks of the river is the Vallurkavu, the famous fish pagoda, dedicated to Durga a,nd supposed to have been one of the four shrineserected to protect the Tirunelli temple. The Carnatic carp and other fish in the pool of the river adjoining the temple are sacred, and to feed them is a method of acquiring merit. This fact points to a Dravidian origin of the temple. Possibly it was at one time a temple of the Valluvars, a servile caste of labourers and fishermen. Thousands of pilgrims come for the temple festival which is held in March."
FROM GOPALAN NAIRS BOOK OF WAYANAD
Local tradition points to a quite different
origin which, as will be seen from the
following account, is traced to Kotungallur
(Cranganore) in the Cochin State.
Nalveettil Nambiars (lit., Nambiars of four
houses) are the Velichapads (oracles) attached
to the Cranganore temple. They lead an
itinerant life and live on the offerings
they receive from the Hindu houses. In
their perigrinatioiis they carry with them a
sword, which as an emblem of the deity,
serves as an easy passport for their livelihood.
In the olden days, two such men arrived
in Wynad, with the object of visiting the
holy shrine at Tirunelli. One morning they
left Maiiantoddy for the temple, but having
missed their way found themselves in a
thick jungle. The heat of the sun was
intense and the stream in the vicinity tempted
them to take a plunge therein. They per-
formed the usual puja to the sword, took
light refreshments and leaving the sword
in the adjoining ant-hill, rested in the
delightful shade of the thick foliage of trees
and were soon in the arms of Morpheus. When
they awoke they found the sword missing
and a search was made with no effect.
Meanwhile a Kurichiya boy who was grazing
his cattle brought the happy tidings that
a sword was seen suspended on a creeper on
the adjoining hill. The pilgrims hastened to
the spot and tried to take hold of the sword.
It would not leave the creeper in spite
of their efforts and they noticed the sword
rising higher and higher in the air the
moment they attempted to touch it. In
appealing terms they addressed the sword
and repeated several times the words
" Valliyur Amma " x (0 Mother ! disentangle
thyself from the creeper). These entreaties
were not responded to and the pilgrims
left the place in sad disappointment. The
matter was reported to the local chieftains,
Edachana Nair and Vemoth Nambiar, on
whose visit to the place, the sword was
found in the same position. They attempt-
ed to touch the sword and it dropped
down, sticking fast in the ground.
The
miraculous incident was reported to the
Raja of Kottayam, then the ruler of Wynad.
The Raja's visit to the spot was followed
by oracular utterances from a Velichapad
(oracle) in the following terms : " I desire
to settle in the locality in three different
places and in three different forms : first
as " Vana Durga " in the place where the
sword fell, as " Jala Durga " in the pool of
the adjoining stream and lastly as " Bhad-
rakali " in the middle of the above two
places and a temple should be erected
with the four eaves of the roof projecting
into the four oceans." The Raja express-
ed his utter inability to undertake the
construction of a temple in the manner
indicated ; whereupon the goddess declared
that no edifice was then necessary and
she would prefer to remain exposed to
the sun and rain.
After this incident, the
Raja made arrangements for the daily
puja, which was entrusted to Cherangote
Nambidi, Edachana Nair and Vemoth Nambiar
who were appointed Managers. The three
centres specified in the divine message are
to this day held sacred and none ventures to
pollute their sanctity either by hunting in
the adjoining jungle, being the abode of
Vana Durga (i.e., Durga of the forest) or
fishing in the stream below, wherein the Jala
Durga (Durga of the water) is supposed to
reside. The ant-hill on which the sword rest-
ed prior to its disappearance, is known as
Maniputtu (Puttu ant-hill) where puja is
performed during the days of the annual fes-
tival. Just in front of the Maniputtu is the
Kali's shrine which remains closed, except
during the fourteen days of the festival.
OPPANA.
As a boy , I was atrracted some othe rituals too.There are small valliyurkaus in earest villages of MAnanthavady .I saw from near places of valliyur kavu temple, on the last days of festval a brach of tree PALA being brougt to main temple It is here that during the last three days of the festival the Cherangote Nambidi (priest) exhibits to the public the exact form of the goddess, as appeared to him in a vision, hence the name "Oppana" by which the exhibition ceremony is termed. It is interest- ing to note that people from all parts of the Taluk, nay from the plains also, throng to the temple with the most anxious expecta- tion to have a look at the " Oppana," the prevailing idea being, that one blessed with the sight of the deity in this form will be free from all epidemic diseases during the year.
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