Navamukunda Temple, Thirunavaya, Malappuram – Religious Significance

Navamukunda Temple, Thirunavaya, Malappuram – Religious Significance

Tirunavaya seems to be a very sacred place for the Hindus of Kerala from time immemorial. River Ponnani at Tirunavaya is considered to assume a special sanctity, because it flows between the temple of Vishnu (Navamukunda) on its right bank and the temple of Brahma and Siva on its left. The village, situated on the fertile river basin, must have been one of the most prominent Brahmin settlement in Kerala. Tirunavaya also hosted the Mamankam, a type of medieval temple festival with huge political significance, in every 12 years.

The Navamukunda Temple is considered one of the 108 original Tirupathis (Divyadesams) of the Vaishnava alvars. The pitrkarma/pitrkriyas performed at Tirunavaya, a Trimurti Sangama, are considered as very sacred. On Karkkidaka vavu (Ammavasai), Hindus from different part of northern Kerala travel to the temple, to perform the pitrkriya (bali tarpan) seeking moksha for their ancestors. According to media, more than 50,000 devotees performed vavu bali at Navamukunda Temple in 2015. Bali rites are also performed at Tirunavaya on the vavu days of Tulam and Kumbham.