Seetha Devi Temple: A mythical story & a valuable heritage

 

For Hindus, Ramayana is the most beautiful epic story which teaches people the importance of truth & principles of life. The reverence to Lord Rama is thus seen all across the country with many temples worshipping Him. There are also temples where Devi Sita is given importance but there is one temple where Lord Rama is not worshipped but Devi Sita is the principal deity. The Seetha Devi temple in Pulpally at Wayanad has this unique distinction. It is also the only temple in the world where the sons of Lord Rama, Luva & Kusha are also worshipped.

It is believed that Pulpally was the place where the ashram of Sage Valmiki stood & when Lord Rama abandoned Sita, she is said to have found refuge here. It is also the place where Sita gave birth to her sons. The area around the ashram became the playground for the two young boys. Devi Sita stayed in the ashram away from the sights of her beloved husband tending to her two sons who were heir apparent to the throne at Ayodhya. Sage Valmiki acquired his credentials as a sage by undertaking a tedious penance wherein he was completely covered with an ant hill. The lands around the temple which was the old ashram complex have many anthills which make us believe the legends of the penance of Sage Valmiki. The ashram premises are also said to be free of leeches & there is a story related to Devi Sita for the absence of these species. As per legend once when Luva & Kusha were sleeping, leeches bit the small children & in anger Devi Sita cursed the leeches by banishing them from the ashram. The place of the temple is also registered in mythology as the last place of Devi Sita’s existence on earth.

Lord Rama, unaware of the whereabouts of his wife or the existence of his children, was living a lonely life in Ayodhya. It was necessary to conduct the Ashwamedha ritual to stamp his dominance on the land & so a horse was sent to spread the news. It so happened that Luva & Kusha on their wanders found the horse in the forest & took it to the ashram. As per the rules of Ashwamedha, whoever captures the horse has to endure a battle with the king’s army & so the battle begins. The two boys were divine & they easily defeated the large army singlehandedly. The most celebrated warriors of Lord Rama were defeated in battle & He himself had to enter the battle with the two young boys. The two worlds watched the beautiful scene of Lord Rama waging a battle with the two young boys. The battle took a fierce form & it was necessary that it be ended, Devi Sita had to finally intervene fearing the loss of her loved ones. Sage Valmiki brought the whole family together but Devi Sita refused to return to Ayodhya. Upon insistence, Devi Sita is said to have prayed to Bhoomidevi who opened the ground to take her daughter back. As Devi Sita was disappearing into the earth, Lord Rama is said to have tried to stop her but could only grab a small portion of her hair. It is for this incident that the place here was called Jadayittakavu & the original temple of Seethadevi is called Chedattinkavu which is a bit away from the current temple. 

The Seethadevi temple as one sees now was only constructed in the 18th century by Pazhassiraja Kerala Varma, the great King of these lands. Before the construction of the temple, the tribes around Wayanad prayed here in their traditional rituals. The king was a great devotee of Seethadevi & is said to have built the temple for Devi Sita, Luva & Kusha in simple Kerala architecture. The central shrine of Seethadevi is flanked on the side by the shrines of her two children. The temple also has some beautiful wooden carvings which give ornamental aesthetics to the temple. The temple apart from being a place of worship later also became a place for the King to conduct meetings in hiding against the British. He is said to have conducted meetings with his Army Chieftains in the courtyard. The pond at the temple is said to be the largest in Wayanad & Pazhassiraja is said to have thrown his golden sword in the pond. After the death of Pazhassiraja, the temple duties were taken over by the Kupppathode Nair family of Wayanad & they still are the custodians of many of the rituals held at the temple. The Mysore army on their invasion of Malabar is said to have attacked the Seetha Devi temple but it is said that they had to retreat when the bright daylight vanished as they neared the temple. The troops out of fear of Devi Sita are said to have left the temple without destroying it. 

The annual festival of the temple is conducted in the month of January & people from all over irrespective of religion, caste or creed come to this sacred land. The temple is a place which makes one remember the importance of Devi Sita in Ramayana wherein she along with her husband valued the importance of principles in life. The temple today is part of both heritage & mythology giving it a unique distinction.