Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla – Legends

Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla – Legends

Ascend of Sreevallabha idol to the earth:

Before creation, while being in deep meditation at the origin of universe, Viratpurusha appeared to Brahma. Brahma understood the Lord as he could and later on continued worshipping Purusha in an idol created by Vishwa Karma from energy concentrated out of extreme power and vehemence of Purusha. Upon request by Samudradeva (god of water) lord Brahma advised worship protocol of Purusha to him and handed over the idol.

Later goddess Lakshmi takes birth as Samudradeva’s daughter in the name Sreedevi. Sreedevi worshipped the very same idol and lord Vishnu promised to marry her while she comes out during churning of the milky ocean in Krita yuga. This eventually made Vishnu to be known as Sree Vallabha (Sree-Lakshmi, Vallabha-husband) and the goddess incorporated her power also to the idol. Later Vishnu married Lakshmi as he promised.

Tapasya of Sage Durvasa:

After the churning of milky ocean, sage Durvasa was upset due his own wrathful nature which led to the whole incidents. He sought advice of his father, Lord Shiva who directed Durvasa to Lord Brahma for getting the knowledge of Parabrahmam. Brahma advised the same as he did to Samudradeva and asked him to worship the Lord. Durvasa along with 63 disciples reached the Earth and found a suitable place and named it as Mallikavanam (forest of jasmines). Durvasa did tapas beneath jointly growing mango and sacred fig. Later in Treta yuga the Lord appeared to the sage.

As Lord Vishnu appeared, water sprouts rushed out of earth and Durvasa washed the Lord’s feet with it. Pleased with the sage’s devotion, Vishnu promised to be present at the spot forever on a condition that the sage should do his service whenever he appear in a form that can be visualized by all. (The spot where Durvasa meditated is south-west to the temple and the water sprouts turned into a tank, Jalavanthi).

Khandakarna penance on Lord Vishnu:

In spite of being son of lord Shiva, Khandakarnan was a horrible ogre who used to sacrifice animals to please Shiva and never missed any chance to humiliate Vishnu. He had a pair of bells as ear rings so that he can hear only the name of Shiva what he used to chant always. As he didn’t get salvation even after long time, he asked Shiva for its reason. Shiva decided to teach him both Shiva and Vishnu are same advised him to worship Vishnu.

Directed by Durvasa, Khandakarnan reaches Mallikavanam. There he took bath in Jalavanthi and threw away his ear rings and got a new pair so that he can hear only the name of Vishnu thereafter. During Dwapara Yuga, Vishnu appeared in front of him as Sree Vallabha and he got salvation. By this, Jalavanthi became famous by the name Khandakarna Theertham.

Journey of Sreevallabha Idol:

Soon after the construction of Dwaraka, Samudradeva gifted many precious things including Sreevallabha idol to Krishna. Krishna handed it over to his friend Satyaki saying “there is nothing in the world for Vishnu pooja like Sreevallabha idol. Worshipping Vishnu directly and worshipping this idol are the same always. It has got the power to wash away even sins accumulated through ages”. Satyaki asked Krishna’s permission for building a temple and celestial architect Visvakarma constructed the biggest temple in Dwaraka.

Sage Vedavyasa installed the idol and Durvasa advised worship protocol. During end of Dwapara yuga Satyaki handed over the idol to Garuda and asked to keep it safe for the use of humans in Kali yuga. Garuda went to Ramanaka island and worshipped it there. Worship of the idol made Garuda free from all his curses. When the time for Garuda to leave the earth reached, he had hidden the idol in the Bhadra deep of Netravati River (in present-day Dakshina Kannada dist., Karnataka).

Annihilation of Thokalasuran:

Mallikavanam became a human settlement before thousands of years and emerged out as a high-profile spiritual and educational centre with enormous wealth and human power. At that time only Brahmin families were not less than 3000 and Sankaramangalath illam enjoyed top status among them. But Sankaramangalath Illam faced risk of extinction as only an old lady and her younger son Narayana Bhattathiri lived there. Bhattathiri married Sreedevi Antharjanam against dreams of others that they will get his wealth too by making their daughters getting married with him. Sreedevi Antherjanam had all good qualities but illiterate. Since literacy was a mandatory for Brahmins and even women were well versed in Sanskrit, being illiterate was a matter of humiliation and envious Brahmins never missed a chance to humiliate Antharjanam to which she never paid any attention.

As the couple had no children even long after marriage, they started Ekadasi vratta for the same. The method adopted by Antharjanam for this was the most difficult one which made her to leave food and sleep also and she made her servant Sreedevi and her son Mukundan to follow the same. Since they were too wealthy Antherjanam started giving food to anyone at any time which only increased the wrath of orthodox Brahmins. As time passed, Bhattathiri died and Antherjanam was left all alone in the world. Since she regularly performed the Ekadasi vratta, she became a good devotee of Vishnu. However, she was deeply troubled by the fact that she was unable to do Ekadasi as she could not read Panchangam (astrological calendar) and that others would humiliate her illiteracy if she were to ask them.

But she somehow found an Ekadasi day and to mark the days, she would keep a pebble in a pot each day so as to know when 15 days had passed. But many times, the actual Ekadasi day was either a day earlier or a day later than the one she thought due to the change in the appearance of the moon. This brought on more humiliation and people began associating all sorts of stubborn acts with her name. But one day, to everyone's shock, two astrologers confirmed the day to be Ekadasi at Sankaramangalath Illam while it was Dasami at every other place. Astonished by this incident, people understood and accepted the unconditional devotion of Antherjanam and started calling her “Sankaramangalathamma” or “Chankrothamma” with respect. This lead the whole village to perform Ekadashi vratta on the same days Antharjanam did.

After many years Mallikavanam was attacked by a dreadful Asura called Thokalasuran who looted everyone and was fond of eating young human flesh. At the same time a Yakshi (vampire) also reached western road to the village attacking everyone who come by that way. This made many to leave the place and outsiders to avoid the place. Being too aged, Antharjanam couldn’t go anywhere. But it became very difficult to find a Brahmmachari (Brahmin boy who is under his deeksha after samavartanam) and thus doing paarana (final, most important event of Ekadasi. Washing feet of brahmacharis and serving food to them) also became difficult.

One-day Antharjanam couldn’t find any Brahmmachari and she cried in front of her idol of Vishnu requesting not to break her custom that she had been following from many years. By the time a young Brahmmachari reached there and asked food. Antharjanam became glad to see him and asked him to come after bath since she needed to complete rituals of Ekadasi. Discarding all warnings given by Antharjanam, the young man stepped towards the river where Thokalaasuran lived. There happened a big fight between both. Finally, the golden pole with the Brahmmachari turned into Sudarshana chakra and he killed Thokalasuran and his crew. After this, brahmachari washed his chakra in water and installed the Shivalinga worshipped by Thokalaasuran on a hill top.

Reaching the northern entrance of the village, he conquered and tied hands of Yakshi. After installing an idol of Durga on the rock with what he covered the well in which Yakshi was put, the Brahmmachari requested Goddess Mahamaya to protect Mallikavanam from all other three directions. Later the young man with five other brahmacharis reached Sankaramangalath Illam. Antharjanam completed all rituals and served food to them in areca nut leaves as the rakshasa had destroyed all banana plantains. Goddess Lakshmi disguised as a housewife entered the scene and served thippili (a kind of pickle) to the Brahmmachari.

Knowing Thokalasuran had been murdered by the Brahmmachari, people came there to visit him and requested show them his Chakra to salute. Brahmmachari installed it in human form with eight hands facing west on the raised land east to them and advised for its daily worship. Sreedevi Antharjanam decided to build a temple there and asked Pathillathil Pottimar to be the administrators. The gathered people paid their oblations to the Chakra and prostrated in front of it. Then the Brahmmachari removed his uthareeyam (dress covering his chest) showing his chest adorned with Srivathsam and goddess Lakshmi residing there, for Antharjanam to be confirmed that he was Lord Vishnu only and on showing his Vishwaroopam, Anthajanam, her servant and servant’s son got salvation by merging with him.

This incident happened on 2998 BC and thereafter Mallikavanam became famous as Chakrapuram. Five Brahmmachari came along with the Lord were sage Durvasa and his disciples. The place where Thokalasuran lived is now known as Thukalassery, where he has been killed as Konnakkulangara, where Brahmmachari washed his Chakra as Chakrashaalana kadav, where he installed Durga’s idol as Thiru Erankavu and three abodes of Mahamaya around the area as Aalumthuruthy, Karunaattukaavu and Padappaad. The Sankaramangalath Illam is still well preserved outside the temple near to its western gate and is considered as the place of origin of the temple. Hence any custom followed in the temple starts here only.

Installation of Sreevallabhan’s Idol:

Around 3000 years after this incident, King Cheraman Perumal visited the temple and his wife Queen Cherumthevi expressed her wish to build a shrine for Vishnu also attached with it rebuilding the whole structure. They ordered a Vishnu’s idol from Tamilakam after the temple construction. One night the Queen had a dream in which Garuda disguised as a Brahmin informed her about Sreevallabhan’s idol and asked to install it there. With the help of Garuda and Tulu Brahmins, Cheraman Perumal brought the idol to Chakrapuram for installation. But during installation ceremony, the idol didn’t fit to its Peetham or seat, the priests felt something supernatural and everyone came out near Jalavanthi. Then they heard celestial instruments being played and chanting of Vedic hymns from inside.

As they rushed and opened altar door, they saw the idol installed at right place with blazing light everywhere and a couple of bananas in an Areca nut palm leaf in front of the idol. Two celestial beings came out of the sanctum-sanctorum and disappeared on eastern bank of Jalavanthy and they were Durvasa and Vedavyasa. Thereafter Chakrapuram had been renamed as Sree Vallabha Puram. The idol that King ordered had been installed at Sree Krishna temple, Malayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram. Sreevallabha temple had been built by Uliyannoor Perumthachan, the architectural legend.

The temple wall and Garuda Dhwaja were completed in a single day in 57 BC by the crew of the Lord. Perumthachan had made a Panchaloha idol of Garuda which is currently seen over Garuda Dhwaja. Soon after the installation, Garuda tried to fly and Perumthachan stopped it by cutting its one wing by throwing his axe. The present copper flag is built there where Garuda had fallen during this incident.

Ban for women entry:

After an incident of a woman getting salvation inside the shrine, ladies were more attracted to the temple. A series of inauspicious events happened after a lady who had been enchanted by beauty of the handsome idol entered the sanctum-sanctorum to marry the Lord and the administrators decided to ban women from entering the temple after an astrological counseling. But on request, they agreed to allow women twice a year during Thiruvathira of Dhanu month and Vishu in Medam when the Lord will be dressed up with mud, ashes, torn clothes etc. to look ugly. The ban was removed in 1968.

Association with Vilwamangalam Swamiyar:

One early morning, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar visited the temple while Kathakali was being played outside. Swamiyar was astonished for not feeling the presence of the Lord inside. As he reached outer aanakkottil, he saw a young Brahmin watching kathakali and recognized him as none other than the Lord. Suddenly Lord Sreevallabha disappeared into the temple saying Swamiyar disturbed him while he was enjoying Kathakali, his favourite. Thereafter Kathakali became an important offering and is being played regularly in the temple. 

Association with Nammalvar:

To Nammalvar, Sreevallabha appeared as Padmanabha sleeping in the ocean of milk, Sree Chakrapani, Infant Krishna showing all worlds in his mouth and Vamana who asked three feet land to King Mahabali.

Sage Durvasa and Saptarishis worshipping Lord Vishnu every midnight:

Sage Durvasa and Saptarishis are said to reach the temple every midnight for worshipping the Lord.

Sudarshana Temple:

As per the legends related to Sreevallabha temple it is clear that even though Sreevallabhan’s idol is older, it was the temple for Sudarshana built first.