Holiday in Bali
बाली विनोदयात्रा
Dakshini Marathi Khajana
दक्षिणी मराठी खजाना
Thrikakkara Vamanamurthy
Kerala
by Gurunandan Balawantha Rao
This write-up in English was posted by
Shri. Gurunandan Balavantha Rao in facebook on 14-05-2015. Translation into DM (with his permission) by Ananda Rao Vasishta.
पहिलच दिवस, 10-05-2015, शनिवार, दुपारच वेळ गुरुवायूरांत्सून त्रिक्काकरैला निघलों. भारत देशांत श्री वामनाच देऊळ फार अप्रूप. कोच्चीच जवळच इडपळ्ळींतून पूर्वीकडे दोन किलोमीटर दूर असाच हे देऊळ त्यांत एक. "देव तळपांय ठिवलते पवित्र ठिकाण" त्रिक्काकरैच अर्थ हेच. तिरु-काल-करै म्हणाच नंतर "त्रिक्काकरै" झाल॑.
कोठ पाह्यलतरीन हिरव॑ अणी प्रसन्न वातावरणाच परिसर. शांत अणी विशालविणी असाच मोठ देऊळ. कोण्त विधाच तंटाहीं नाहीस्क॑ संपूर्ण निशब्दांत दर्शन झाल॑. मनाला पूर्ण तृप्ति मिळ्लते दर्शन. May 10th शनिवार संध्याकाळी हे दर्शन केलों. थोडक दिवसाच पुढेपणीं अरुणोदीच वेळी दर्शन केलहोतों. पाऊस पडत होत॑. रिचिवाच पाऊसास्क॑ नहोत तरीन, वसाडे (ओसाडे) पक्षा अण्खीन थोड अधीक शिंतोडेस्क॑ पडत होत॑. भिजलोंतरीन मनाला चोखट वाटल॑. सान्निध्यांत वेघाच पुढे पाऊसाच पाणींत प्रोक्षणा करून देव स्वता मला परिशुद्ध करतात म्हणींगट्लों.
Mahabali Asthanaa
अरुणोदी कराच "सीवेलि" पाह्याच भाग्य मिळ्ळ॑. उत्सवमूर्तीला बाह्येरच प्राकारावाटे वाद्य-घोष समेत मिरविणकी (मिरवणूक) करणे, हेलाच "सीवेलि" म्हणाच. तेच समयांत॑ भागवत-सप्ताहाच प्रवचन पणीं होतहोत॑. श्री वामनाच उत्सवमूर्ती पाह्याला फार सुंदर आणी तेजोमय होत॑. संध्याकाळी पुन्हा एकदपा दर्शन कराच भाग्य पणीं मिळ्ळ॑. पाष्टे सूर्य बिंबाच प्रकाश अणी संध्याकाळी दीपालंकाराच झळकांत दर्षन झाल॑.
वैष्णवांच एकशेंआठ दिव्यदेशांत हे पणीन एक. नम्मालवाराच पसुरमांत त्रिक्काकराला "तिरुक्काट्करै" म्हणून सांगिट्लाहे, म्हणजे, काट्करै अप्प पेरुमाळाच रूपांत श्री वामन आहेत म्हणून अर्थ.
केरळांतल॑ देऊळांच वास्तु प्रकार हे देऊळ पणीन वृत्त आकारांत बांधलाहे. इकडे दोन प्रत्येक श्रीकोविल (श्री देऊळ) आहे. एक वामनाला अणी एक शिवाला म्हणून. वामन देऊळांत श्री भगवती, गोपालक्रिष्णा ह्यंच प्रतिष्टा पणीन आहे. श्री वामन देऊळाच दक्षिणाकडे असाच शिवलिंगाला असुर चक्रवर्ती महाबली स्वता पूजा करत होते म्हणून विश्वास आहे. पार्वती, दुर्गा, सुब्रह्मण्यन अणी गणपती ह्यंच अग्गीन प्रतिष्टा पणीन शिव देऊळांत आहे. उत्तराकडे असाच पुष्करणीला "कपिल तीर्थम्" म्हणून नांव. देऊळाच अर्चकलोकांस मात्र पुष्करणींत उतराला सोडतील म्हणोन कळ्ळ॑.
अश्वथ वृक्षेच इकडच॑ स्थळ वृक्ष. देऊळाच प्रवेशद्वाराकडे असाच हे वृक्षाच खाले वामन मूर्तीच एक विग्रह आहे. कित्तिकी शतकाच वय हे झाडाला आहे म्हणून पाह्तान वाटत॑. वर्षा-वर्षीच "ओणम" उत्सव, तसच, जुने काळांत झालत॑ अग्गि कार्यांचीं साक्षी म्हणून हे झाड इकड ओठाकलाहे.
Day 1, 10th May, Saturday, afternoon session. From Guruvayur, we proceeded to Thrikatkarai. Thrikkatkara Temple is one of the few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana. It is situated in Thrikkakara, 2 kilometers east of Idapally near Cochi. The name Thrikkakkara means the holy place where Lord placed His foot. Thiru-kal-kari later became Thrikkakara / Thrikatkarai.
The temple is quite big, spacious, calm located in a serene atmosphere with full greenery around. Dharshan in complete silence, with no disturbance anywhere was such a great experience. Though I had dharshan on May 10th Saturday evening, I could manage to have dharshan at this temple a few days in advance and that too in the early morning hours. This was at a time when it was raining. Early morning dharshan and that too amidst natural downpour – it was slightly higher than the drizzle but less than a rain / heavy downpour. Drenched in this slight downpour, it was a nice feeling and I felt Lord is making me enter his shrine and have dharshan by getting purified with the blessings of nature itself, not wanting to depend on any other source of water.
Was fortunate to watch the “Seeveli” practice in the morning hours, where the Utsava Murthy is taken in procession around the main outer prakaar with instruments and music playing. It was indeed a blessing that Bhagavatham Sapthaha discourse was going on. The Utsava Murthy of Sri Vamana is so charming, and bright. Was fortunate to have dharshan at the same temple in the evening hours for a second time. Dharshan in natural sun light in the morning and natural light with lamps lit in the shrine in the evening.
This place is one of the 108 divyadesams of Vaishnavites. In pasurams of Nammalvar Thrikkakara is refered as Thirukkaatkarai, Lord Vamana as Sree Kaatkarai Appa Perumal.
The temple is also a typical Kerala type architecture and is round in shape. In this temple there are two seperate sreekovils for Lord Vamana and Lord Shiva. Other deities of Vamana temple are Sree Bhagavathi, Gopalakrishna. The Shivalinga in this temple is believed to be worshiped by Mahabali himself and is situated on the southern side of Vamana shrine. The Shiva temple has shrines of Parvathi, Durga, Bhagavathi, Subramanian and Ganapathy. The temple pond in the northern side is called Kapila Theertham and is considered holy. Only the temple priests are allowed to enter into this pond compound.
The sthala vruksha is Ashwatha tree. This tree is situated at the entrance with an idol of Sri Vamana underneath it. From the look of it, the tree looks several centuries old and has witnessed several proceedings from the past and all the celebrations happening every year around Onam time.