Chengannur Bhagavati-The Ever Present Mother

Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 10:13

Countless are the manifestations of Goddess Parvati. The 'Shakti' or the power which She emanates in different temples affirm one's belief in Her being the manifestation of the primal energy. Since she is the manifested truth, there is a wide variety of her manifestations for a devoted heart to dwell in Her glory. Of the manifestations of Mother Parvati, Chengannur Bhagavati holds a remarkable significance.

The Legend

There are several legends associated with the Chengannur Mahadeva temple, a famous Indian temple in Kerala.

Immolation Of Sathi

Parvati when incarnated as Sathi wanted to attend the Yagna (the great sacrifice) conducted by Her father Daksha, where Her husband Lord Shiva was not invited. Despite Shiva's advice, Sathi attended the Yagna,only to be not only ignored by Her father but also to hear Her husband being ridiculed. As a result, Sathi jumped into the sacrificial fire and immolated Herself.

Enraged, Lord Shiva instructed Veera Bhadra to destroy the Yagna and wipe out the entire race of Daksha. The sorrow stricken Lord, held His wife's corpse and engaged in a 'Thandava' It is believed that Lord Vishnu in order to console Lord Shiva and bring down His fury swirled His Sudarshana chakra which tore the body of Sathi. Several parts of the body fell in different places and Chengannur happens to be the place where the loins fell. Hence it is also considered as one of the Shakti Peetams. This could also hold truth for the fact of the Goddess menstruating to this day in the shrine.

The Marriage Of Shiva and Parvati

Another version of the legend states that on account of the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati, the Trimoorthies, instructed sage Agasthya to remain in Shronadri, said to be the southern bank of the Pamba river. This was to prevent the Northern side from sinking due to the weighing crowd gathered to witness the divine wedding. Agasthya obliged to follow the instructions of the Thrimoorthies. However he expressed his concern in missing out the divine wedding.

Shiva and Parvati after the marriage appeared in Shronadri to present themselves in their wedded glory to the sage. It is said that Mother Parvati went through menstruation that she could not return. Shronadri, a Sanskrit word is referred to as Chenn Kunnu (Red hill) in the native language, Malayalam which later evolved to be known as 'Chengannur'

Kannagi as Shakti

Yet a different version of the history of the temple reveals that Kannagi, said to have been the incarnation of Devi, is believed to have meditated on the Chen Kunnu hill after the destruction of Madurai, owing to her husband's murder. It is believed that her husband, Kovalan appeared before her while she was in meditation and together they both went to heaven. “Silapathikaram," the classical lore holds reference to a place where Devi meditated as 'Chenn Kunnu' It corresponds to the truth of people having seen Devi meditating in the valley of that hill.

The temple's history

It is said that the area where the temple stands once belonged to Vanghipuzha Thampuran which was leased to Nayanaru Pillai. One day, the maid of Nayanaru Pillai was sharpening a knife on a stone, when the stone started bleeding. When the matter was reported to Vanghipuzha Thampuran, 36 para (to denote measurement in Malayalam) was poured on the stone to stop the bleeding as advised by Thazhaman Potty (priest) A temple was then constructed with the guidance of Perunthachan, the respected carpenter. After a period, Perunthachan paid a visit to the temple again and predicted to Thazhaman Potty (priest) an outbreak of fire and that the idol of Devi would be destroyed. He also gave another idol made of Panchaloham (five elements).

It so happened that Perunthachan's words came true. The temple was renovated and later the idol of Devi was found in a river with the help of some fishermen near Karunagappalli on a Shivaratri as recorded in the Granth written by Thazhaman Potty. The overjoyed Thampuran gave fruits and tender coconuts to the fishermen. To this day the festival of Shivaratri is celebrated commemorating the event.

The legends of the temple thus envelop a religious heart with devotional fervour and are testimonies to the glory of Shakti worship in India.

Read about the famous Thriputharattu festival of Chengannur Mahadeva temple associated with the menstruation of the Goddess.