Thirunelli Temple: Legend, Importance & Divinity

 

Most temples in Kerala are picturesque in the way it is built & how they have groves around. One such ancient temple with many unique legends & stories stands atop a hill surrounded by other mountains in a tranquil scenery. The Thirunelli temple has been present here for centuries & its reverence has made people from all over to come & pray. It is said that the first rays of the day fall on this temple which is surrounded on all sides by Udayagiri, Karimala, Bramagiri & Narinirangimala ranges giving it the name of Sahyamala Kshethram. The temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is also called Kashi of the South due to the presence of the Holy Trinity as per the Hindu scriptures with the presence of Shiva, Vishnu & Brahma at one single place. The temple is a place which brings out the spirituality in all who come here as one experiences peace while passing through the lush forests. The place of the temple derives its name from the Malayalam word Nelli which means gooseberry as it was a place which was once an orchard of gooseberry trees. The temple is also called Amalaka temple & Siddha temple based on its importance mentioned in the Hindu puranas. 

Though the origin of the temple is unclear, as per legends it is said that Lord Brahma was the reason for the consecration of the idol. On his sojourn around these parts, he is said to have found the idol of Lord Vishnu resting over the branches of the gooseberry trees. Lord Brahma conducted the traditional vigraha pooja & consecrated Lord Vishnu in his Chaturbhuj form here along with other upadevatas. Lord Vishnu is said to have blessed the waters around the temple to have the powers to rinse all sins & this belief still continues, the stream one finds next to the temple originates in the Brahmagiri mountains & is aptly termed Papanashini. The relation of Lord Brahma to the temple is not just with its origin, but the rituals of the temple are also related to Him. As per belief of the priests at the temple, Lord Brahma is said to conduct rituals at the temple daily as the ritual items at the temple are used at night by Him before the priests open the sanctum for the morning prayers. On the western side of the temple one can find the cave temple of Gunnika which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva still resides here & as per mythology this is the place from where he went to Kottiyoor to kill Daksha after the death of his beloved Sati. The importance of the temple of providing peace to the departed souls is the reason why Thirunelly is revered in the Hindu way of life. In the temple premises is the presence of a holy rock over which the holy rituals of the dead are conducted & as per legends, this rock is part of the body of a demon who was killed by Lord Vishnu. At the feet of Lord Vishnu, the demon is said to have asked for forgiveness & Lord Vishnu divided his body into three parts; head at Gaya, body in Godavari & the feet at Thirunelly. The belief was strengthened when Lord Parasurama conducted the last rites for his father Jamadagni at the rock. Lord Parasurama has the distinction of consecrating many temples but he also killed many Kshatriyas & is said to have taken a dip in the Papanashini to rid him of all the sins. Lord Rama & Lakshmana also are said to have performed the last rites for their father at the rock in the presence of Lord Brahma. The belief is what brings devotees from all over to conduct the last rites for their ancestors inside the pond of the temple near the rock. 

The temple architecture is based on traditional Kerala style with the sanctum surrounded by tiled roof verandahs & open courtyards. On the outer walls of the temple one can find granite pillars in cube shape with intricate designs. Though the temple is a simple structure, some of its construction seems to be incomplete like the granite lamp post which has no flag post but there is still a hole for the flag to be placed. Also, the walkway around the temple is said to have never been completed after the Vellatiri King who owned the temple objected to the construction of a cloister by the Coorg Raj which is still left half-finished. Most of the base construction is made on well placed stone blocks & it would certainly have been a great feat to achieve taking into consideration the topography. The temple construction based on evidence in the few available scriptures & coins credit the Chera King Kulasekharan to have built the temple somewhere between the 8th & 9th century. This is evident from the Sanskrit work Mukunda Mala written by the king after he renounced the throne & some lines refer to his devotion to Lord Vishnu at the temple. Another fascinating structure seen at the temple is the presence of a stone aqueduct that ensures uninterrupted water supply to the temple. The channels of this water channel are supported by pillars & there are some beautiful murals on them which intrigues all. It is believed that the temple, though surrounded by the holy Papanasini, was under the grip of a dire drought. One day the wife of Chirackal Raja visited the temple & asked for some water to dissolve the sandalwood, but the priests could not give any as they only had enough water to conduct the rituals. The lady understood the scarcity of water & asked the Raja to make arrangements for uninterrupted water supply to the temple from the forests. The Raja commissioned his engineers to find a water source, once found they used bamboo halves to transport the water. Over time these bamboo halves were replaced with stone edicts to make a permanent structure. These water channels are still used by  the temple for all rituals. The temple also has an imprint of the holy feet of Lord Rama on one of the rocks which is said to have been made when he came to perform Pitru Bali.

The temple considered among the most ancient temples in Kerala has found mention in many classic works of literature like the Unniyachi Charithram & the Kokila Sandesham of 15th century. Near the Papanasini stream one can also find the holy temple pond of Panchatheertham which is believed to have waters from five streams. Devotees who come to the temple irrespective of their need to perform bali do take a dip in the Papanasam stream to pray for betterment of their lives & souls of the departed. The temple still stands as a witness to all the changes that happened over centuries but it's divinity has not faded which makes it still the most important place for all to embrace peacefulness for both the living & dead.