Malainadu Divyadesam – Thiruvalla: திருவல்லவாழ் உறையும், கோனாரை !!

Malainattu Divyadesam – Thiruvalla

“தொல்லருள் நல்வினையால் சொலக்கூடுங்கொல்?” என்றே சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வார் ஆசைப்பட்ட திவ்யதேசம் அறிவீரோ ! - இந்த மலைநாட்டு திவ்யதேசத்தை திருமங்கை மன்னனும் சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வாருமாக 22 பாசுரங்களால் மங்களாசாசனம் செய்துள்ளனர். 

a beautiful aerial view pic of temple as tweeted by jaypanicker

Angadipuram is a major suburb of Perinthalmanna town, in Malappuram District  was the capital of the powerful medieval kingdom of Valluvanad. Angadipuram is also known for Angadipuram Laterite, a notified go-heritage monument.  Valluvanad was an independent chiefdom in present-day central Kerala that held power from the early 12th century to the end of the 18th century. Prior to that, and since the late 10th century, Valluvanad existed as an autonomous chiefdom within the kingdom of the Chera Perumals. The disintegration of the Chera Perumal kingdom in early 12th century led to the independence of the various autonomous chiefdoms of the kingdom, Valluvanad being one of them.

The earliest mention of the term "Valluvanad" as a political entity, from the 9th and early 10th century, are references to a region within the Ay kingdom in the south Kerala, then a vassal to the Pandya kingdom.    Valluvanad was ruled by a Samanthan Nair clan known as Vellodis, similar to the Eradis of neighbouring Eranad and Nedungadis of Nedunganad. The rulers of Valluvanad were known by the title Valluvakonathiri/Vellattiri.  Valluvanad was a  region between the knolls of Pandalur Hills (a hill that separates old Eranad Taluk from Valluvanad Taluk, located in Malappuram-Manjeri area) and the seashore of Ponnani.  The country covered the Bharathapuzha river basin in the south to the Pandalur Hills in the north.  In its maximal extend, its northern boundary was Thrikkulam at Tirurangadi in Tirurangadi Taluk and southern border was Edathara near Palakkad. A larger portion of what is presently called Eranad region was originally under the Kingdom of Valluvanad before the conquest of Zamorin of Calicut.  The chiefdom was disestablished in 1793 with the British East India Company taking over its management directly, and the hereditary ruling family settling for a pension arrangement.

எர்ணாகுளம் (கொச்சி) - கொல்லம் இரயில் மார்க்கத்தில், திருவல்லா என இரயில் நிலையம் உள்ளது. சபரிமலை செல்லும் பக்தர்கள் இங்கு அல்லது, செங்கணாச்சேரி அல்லது செங்கண்ணுர் இரயில் நிலையங்களில் இறங்கி - ஆரமுள  எனும் திருவாறன்விளை திவ்யதேசத்தில் வணங்கி எருமேலி, பம்பா நோக்கி தங்கள் யாத்திரையை தொடர்வர்கள். 

It is a famous divaydesam ‘Thiruvalla’ which according to traditions, comes  from the word "Valla Vaay", named after the river Manimala which was known as Vallayār in ancient times. Before roads were developed, Thiruvalla village developed at the mouth of river Vallayar, connected far and near places through waterways, hence known as Valla vāi(vāy in old Malayalam means mouth of river).  Later the Thamizh Prefix 'Thiru (means holy /revered) attached to it and became Thiruvalla. At the time of intermigration to south India it became one of the 64 Brahmin settlements. They correlated the name to "Sree Vallabha" which means Husband of Lakshmi Devi. Sree Vallabha is the presiding deity of the Thiruvalla Temple and Shreevallabha Puram (Land of Vallabhan) became Thiruvalla.  Thiruvalla as per the Sanskrit work "श्रीवल्लभ क्षेत्र माहात्म्यम्"   (śrīvallabha kṣētra māhātmyaṁ) is "श्रीवल्लभपुरम्"  (śrīvallabhapuraṁ) dating back to 10^th century or earlier.

Thiruvalla, is now a  Municipality in Kerala and also the headquarters of the Taluk of same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of 27.94 km . It lies on the banks of the river Pamba and river Manimala, and is a land-locked region surrounded by irrigating streams and rivers. Thiruvalla is regarded as the "Land of Non resident Indians ".Thiruvalla is hailed as  Commercial Capital Of Central Travancore due its vibrant economic activity.  Thiruvalla is  famous for the dance of Kathakali, which is hosted in the Sreevallabha temple almost every day in a year. The Nedumpuram Palace near Thiruvalla belongs to Valluvanad Royal family, who were originally the rulers of Angadippuram.

Thiruvalla was also an important commercial centre with the Niranam port in olden days, which is described by Pliny as "Nelcynda”.  Up to the beginning of the 10th century CE, Ays were the dominant powers in Kerala. The Ay kings ruled from Thiruvalla in the North to Nagercoil in the South. Ptolemy mentions this as from Baris (Pamba River) to Cape Comorin "Aioi" (Kanyakumari)  By 12th century, the Thiruvalla copper plates, which are voluminous records that centre around the social life around the temple.  The society Thiruvalla temple had a large Vedic learning school (actually   modern university) ("Thiruvalla salai"), which was one of the foremost learning centres  in Kerala. The Thiruvalla salai was one of the richest among the Vedic schools of Kerala, and according to the copper plates, the pupils of the school were fed with 350 nazhis of paddy every day,  which shows the vastness of its student population. Thiruvalla held a very eminent position among the spiritual and educational centres in ancient times. The Sri Vallabha Temple was one of the wealthiest temples of ancient Kerala, as is evident from the inscriptions in the plates. The part of the temple land required to 'feed the Brahmins' required 2.1 million litres of rice seeds, and for the "maintenance of the eternal lamps" required more than 340,000 litres of paddy seed capacity.  Due to the length, the antiquity and the nature of the language, Thiruvalla copper plates form the "First book in Malayalam", according to Prof. Elamkulam.

திருவல்லா  திருத்தலத்தில் மூலவர் கோலப்பிரான், திருவாழ்மாறவன், ஸ்ரீவல்லபன் - நின்ற திருக்கோலத்தில் கண்ணபிரான்.  இக்கோவிலில் ஸ்ரீசுதர்சன சக்ரம் ஸ்தாபிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.  துவஜஸ்தம்பம் பொன்தகடு வேயப்பட்டுள்ளது.  கண்டாகர்ணன் எனும் சிவபக்தன், வேறு திருநாமங்கள் எதுவும் தன காதில் வீழ்திருக்க பெண்மணிகளை அணிந்து, அது சப்திக்கும்படி தவம் செய்து மோக்ஷம் அடைந்தது இங்கே என தல வரலாறு. மிக அற்புதமான வரப்ரசாதியான பெருமாள்.

Sreevallabha Temple is a  beautiful ancient temple dedicated to Lord Sreevallabhan.  Located in Thiruvalla city, this ocean of orthodoxy is well known for its architectural grandeur and unique customs, [ stone-wooden carvings and mural paintings inside the temple. It is the Vallabha kshethram mentioned in Garuda Purana and Matsya Purana.  Kathakali is played daily in the temple as an offering, pushing it to the top in India in terms of places where Kathakali is staged in largest number of days per year.  Emperuman Sriman Narayana appeared here as Sreevallabhan for sage Durvasa  and Khandakarnan.  Pleased by prayers of an old Brahmin lady Sreevallabhan incarnated as a brahmachari and killed the demon Thokalaasuran. Later the deity of Sreevallabhan worshipped by Lakshmi and Krishna has been installed in the temple in 59 BC.  From then till date, the temple follows its own worship protocol.   Sages  Durvasa and Saptarishi visit this  temple every midnight for worshipping the Lord.   The Thiruvalla inscriptions say the temple for Sudarshana Chakra was built in 2998 BC . The temple for Sudarshana Chakra was built  by Sreedevi Antherjanam of Sankramangalathu Illam and it was elaborately rebuilt by Queen Cherumthevi in 59 BC.  Veda, Vedanta, Tarka, Mimamsa, Jyotisha, Ayurveda, and Kalaripayattu were taught there. The temple also owned an ayurvedic hospital with facilities to admit and treat 100 patients at a time.  Famous Sanskrit poet Daṇḍin (7th century AD) of Kanchi  mentioned the temple in his works. The first ever prose work in Malayalam is the Thiruvalla inscriptions dated to the first half of the 12th century AD  which was obtained from the temple during 1915. The Unnuneeli Sandesam of the 13th century AD highlighted the grandeur, beauty, serenity, fame and status of the temple during its time.  Other works that glorified the temple are Sreevallabha Ksethra Mahathmyam of the 10th century AD, Sreevallabha Charitham kavyam, Thukalasura Vadham Kathakali, Sreevallabha Charitham Kathakali, Sreevallabha Vijayam Kathakali, Sreevallabha Suprabhatham, Sreevallabha Karnamritha Sthothram, Yajanavali Sangrham etc.

From the date built, the temple was under control of thiruvalla pattillathil pottimar (Brahmins of ten families) till 1752-1753. Sreevallabha Temple emerged out as a major spiritual destination for devotees all over India centuries before. It had 15 major priests (melsanthi) and 180 sub-ordinate priests  (keezhsanthi) all the time and another 108 for only daily noon pooja. Temple provided staying and food facilities for all visitors, students, teachers etc. and also used to conduct annadanam (serving food to the poor) daily. Naivedyam of Lord Sreevallabhan for a single time used to be made from 45 para (one para can feed appx 100 persons) rice.   It also had thousands of acres of land too which are lost now !  During 1752-1753 Marthanda Varma of Travancore captured the temple from Pathillathil Pottimar  and it is believed that Ramayyan Dalawa looted whole temple assets to Thiruvananthapuram.   

Built in the silent and picturesque land on the banks of Manimala river, this icon of Kerala temple architecture, covers an area of 8.5 acres and ranks first among the temples of old Travancore state in terms of area inside the compound wall.  The temple is surrounded on all sides by 12 feet, tall 566 feet long, 4.5 feet thick red granite compound walls with a two-storied gopuram (gate tower) on each side.  This huge wall was built in 57 BC and is believed that it was completed in a single night by bhoothagana (servants) of The Lord. Outside eastern wall a big pond covering 1.5 acres is seen in north-eastern direction with a copper flagstaff on its southern bank. A platform for performing kathakali is seen just in front of the eastern entrance. Inside the wall pradakshina veethi or outer circumambulation path is seen with four small aankottils (places where the deity is taken out and kept for worship inside temple wall) and a big one on south-eastern corner. South-east to this an oottupura or dining hall is seen which is built in all other temples only on northern side and this is unique to Sreevallabha temple only.  Smaller shrines for lord Ganapathy and Ayyappan and another auditorium are seen in south-western side.  The sacred fig and mango trees beneath which sage Durvasa meditated is found near Ayyappan shrine.  Northern gopuram is closed always and is opened only for Uthra Sreebali festival The temple koothambalam (stage) was destroyed by fire in 1915.[11] The most highlighted construction of the temple is the Garuda dhwaja sthambam or flagstaff of Garuda.   Outside naalambalam, a deepasala (galaxy of bronze lamps) is built on teak wood.   Two namaskara mandapam (prostration building) are built against both doors of Sreekovil (sanctum-sanctorum).  The circular, copper roofed, golden domed sreekovil is adorned with finely etched murals of matsya, kaaliyamardana, kurma, Dakshinamurthy, varaha, venu gopala, maha ganapathy, narasimha, vamana, sudarshana, parashurama, sree rama, Purusha sukta, balarama, sreeKrishna, lakshmi, kalki and garuda in clockwise manner.  Sreekovil has an outer perimeter of 160 feet and has three concentric walls. It enshrines Lord Sreevallabhan facing east and Sudarshana chakra(sathrusamhaaramoorthy) facing west under the same roof.

Sreevallabhan, the main deity is in Ninra thirukolam (standing posture),  bearing a lotus in right hand, chakra in right upper hand, sankha in left upper hand and his left hand kept on his waist (kati hastham). 

இதோ ஸ்வாமி நம்மாழ்வாரின் திருவாய்மொழி பாசுரம் :

மானேய் நோக்குநல்லீர்! வைகலும்  வினையேன்மெலிய,

வானார் வண்கமுகும் மதுமல்லிகையுங்  கமழும்,

தேனார் சோலைகள்சூழ்   திருவல்லவாழ்  உறையும்,

கோனாரை அடியேன்   அடிகூடுவது  என்று கொலோ? 

ஆழ்வார் நாயிகா பாவத்தில் தம் தோழியர்க்கு உரைத்தல்  :  மான் போன்ற நோக்கையுடைய பெண்களே!,  பாவியான நான்  எப்போதும் இளைக்கும்படியாக, ஆகாசத்தையளாவிய அழகிய அழகிய பாக்கு மரங்களும்,  மதுவொழுகுகின்ற மல்லிகை மலர்களும், வாஸிக்கப்பெற்ற  தேன் நிரம்பிய சோலைகளால் சூழப்பட்ட  திருவல்லவாழ் எனும் இந்த அற்புத திவ்யதேசத்திலே  நித்யவாஸம் பண்ணுகிற ஸ்வாமியின் திருவடிகளை அடியேன்   கூடப்பெறுவது என்றைக்கோ? என  வினவுகிறார்.

We were fortunate to have darshan at this beautiful temple in Dec 2018 – by staying in Thiruvalla, one can have darshan of 6 divyadesangal – Thiruvalla, Thiruvaranvilai (Aramula), Vaigal Thiruvanvandur, Kuttanattu Thirupuliyur, Thiruchengunur Thiruchitraru, & Thirukadithanam. Some of the photos here not bearing © Kairavini karaiyinile were taken from the fb pages of the temple.

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
26^th Sept. 2021.