Thiruvangad Temple: Abode of Sree Ramaswamy

 

Today when you come to Thalassery, the town showcases heritage at every turn with its old rustic buildings, narrow roads & timeless monuments. Among all these stands a temple in a place that was once known as van-kaad which became Thiruvangad due to the presence of Lord Sriramaswamy. The Thiruvangad Sree Rama temple is an ancient place of worship & is considered to be one among the four most revered temples dedicated to Lord Rama in Kerala. The temple origins are not known but most believe it to be over 2000 years. The reverence of the temple is not just in the presence of Lord Rama at the shrine, but over the centuries the temple has also been a place of importance for rulers, invaders & the pilgrims who took note of the beauty of this temple. 

The temple's origin is based on many legends with no clear evidence as to who built this beautiful temple. One common thought is that Parasurama consecrated the temple which may be true as he is known to have built many temples. The other common legend is based on the story attached to Saga Agastya who on his sojourn around the land was confronted by two demons by the name of Neelan & Swethan who were brothers with distinct body hues. The sage is said to have cursed the two demons & realising their mistake asked for pardon.  Agastya Muni told them to pray to Lord Shiva for moksha & based on his directions Neelan penanced North while Swethan penanced South. This story also has a slight deviation with a belief that Neelan became Neelarshi & Swethan assumed the name of Swetharshi after Lord Shiva was pleased with their devotion. The myth also concludes that Swetharshi consecrated the Vishnu temple with the beautiful Krishna Shila idol while Neelarshi is said to have consecrated the Vadakkedam Shiva temple one sees in the compound. This legend does find mention in the Keralolpathi which has references to another story associated with the earlier name of Thiruvangad, Swetharanyapuram. The Vadakedam Shiva temple also has a legend associated with the deity. When Neelarshi who was a Shaivite devotee consecrated the idol of Lord Shiva, the Lord assumed the form of Ugramoorthy which made him glare with rage & his vision fell on the eastern parts of Thalassery which resulted in extreme drought & burning of crops. It was not clear for many years why such a phenomenon happened as places all around were fertile. It was only after  a devaprasnam that the reason for this situation was understood & as a prathividhi it was decided to build another Shiva Temple directly opposite the Vadakedam temple, having the most pleasant form of Lord Shiva. The temple is known as Kizhakedam & belongs to the Thiruvangad Dewaswom while Vadakedam has no association with the Dewaswom, its rituals are still conducted by the family of priests. 

The idol of the temple is made of Krishna Shila & is said to be Sree Rama in “Poornaroopam '' which means the presence of the lord is as he was in person. His standing stance depicts how he was in the mood after killing Khara & his army. The idol is also chaturbahu which resembles Lord Vishnu with an abhaya mudra (blessing) posture. The benevolent deity is also known as Perumal & gets the name based on the Kolathunadu way of naming which also terms the deity as Iemperumalidam. The presence of Hanuman within the central shrine & guarding the entry to the sreekovil is unique as unlike most other temples of Lord Rama, Hanuman is revered with the same devotion at the Thiruvangad temple & the archana of “Avil” to Hanuman is received as prasad by the devotees who come to the temple symbolising the event of feeding the monkey God. The Sreekovil also faces on one side the wooden sanctum of Sree Porkali who is seated as Bhagawathi here. The Goddess is said to be the same as at the Muzhakkunnu Bhagavathy temple but due to a competition between the priest of the temple & chief marar she is said to have been consecrated within the temple blessing all who come to the temple. There are other upadevathas here along with Lord Sreeramaswamy & the rituals to be followed here are strict due to the belief that Lord Vishnu is present here as a supreme being in his most modest avatar. 

The temple is a beautiful example of traditional Kerala temple architecture. One special feature which attracts every person who comes to the temple is the lavish use of copper covering on the roof of the central shrine. The British viceroy on their arrival here is said to have named the temple as Brass Pagoda which is an appropriate term to be used. The central shrine is also adorned with many paintings & murals along the inner and outer walls. The central sanctum roof also has many wooden carvings depicting the stories from Ramayana in different panels, from the early childhood of Lord Rama, to the vanavasa, to the abduction of Sitadevi, to the meeting of Hanuman. The temple is also said to have been constructed to the current form by the most renowned sculptor Perunthachan who is said to have hidden his measuring scale (muzhakolu) somewhere within the sculptures in the temple. The temple before the British came did not have an outer wall but was surrounded on all sides by the wide stone pedestal boundary which one still finds adorning the temple on all sides. The boundary wall around the temple has a story of its own & one that is quite unique. The British Collector of Malabar TH Babar is credited to have commissioned the wall construction due to an event which is mentioned in Malabar Manual. As the story goes, one day when he was riding along the temple grounds, a man asked the collector to not enter the temple on horseback which was not heeded by Babar. He tried to enter the temple from the eastern gate when his horse fell flat on the ground & would not get up in spite of all efforts of the collector which made him realise the power of the deity & in obedience he built the wall around the temple to protect it in 1815. This story may be difficult to relate but there is another story to it & something that better relates to his deeds. This story is based on the fact that TH Babar was given the responsibility of ending the resistance of Kerala Varma Pazhassiraja who was an ardent devotee of Thiruvangad & the people of North Malabar considered him King even when he was exiled. After the death of Pazhassiraja it is said that Babar built the wall around the temple to pacify the people & tried to stop a rebellion which would have happened if such an action was not taken. The gopuram in front of the sanctum which divides the temple with the pond is said to have been over 7 storeys tall but it was destroyed by Tipu Sultan during his invasion of Malabar. Tipu’s invasion was such that many of the idols, scriptures & items of the temple had to be taken away from the temple for safekeeping. The temple also is a place of art which can be seen in the beautiful mural painting of Ramayana on the inner walls of the temple.   

The temple apart from the standpoint of spiritual well being was also the meeting place for the two rulers of Kerala, the Kolathiris & Kadathanadu kings to discuss aspects of the kingdom. The temple compound also became the place where many agreements were discussed & signed between the local rulers and British before the Thalassery Fort became the administrative center. The temple also became the venue for the people to indulge in traditional folklore by way of attending the reading of Narayaneeyam, or being witness to the Kathakali or other dance forms at the Koothambalam. The temple is incomplete without the visit to the temple pond which is one among the largest in Malabar. The old temple chira only had steps on all sides which also facilitated the entry of Elephants who bathed at the pond. Today the pond is flanked on all sides with well designed banks & designated bathing  areas for all who come to take a dip. The temple’s annual festival of Vishu Mahotsavam is a 7 day grand event with elephant procession, folk dance performances, special poojas & other temple rituals. The temple is also the only temple in Malabar to have an Elephants parade similar to that of Thrissur Pooram with the presence of over 10 elephants who become part of a traditionally choreographed Arattu which takes the deity on a procession around the temple. 

The Thiruvangad temple  has been witness to many social changes over the centuries but not much within the temple has changed. The changes one sees today may be ornamental as compared to what it was at the time of its origin, but for most devotees who revere Sree Ramaswamy here, the Perumal does benevolently bless all who come to him. The visit to this temple is a must for all who believe in history, heritage & spiritual wellbeing.