User:Nalin Ganesh N/Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple and Kovilvila Bhagavati Temple

Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple and Kovilvila Bhagavati Temple

      Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram or Old Sreekanteswaram is one of the most ancient Siva temples in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to the renowned historian Prof. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, this temple existed even in the 9 th century AD. This temple is the sreemulasthanam of the New Sreekanteswaram, which is situated just outside the North Fort in Thiruvananthapuram. As noted by Dr. M G Sasibhooshan, the old temple was on the route taken by the King of Travancore and his retinue in connection with the Pallivetta of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple . The old temple might have lost its importance to the new one in the latter half of the 18th century when Chettikulangara was used by the men of Padmanabhan Thampi and Raman Thampi, the sworn enemies of tne King of Travancore Sri Vira Marthanda Varma.

         Lord Siva and Lord Krishna (Vishnu) are the principal deities in Old Sreekanteswaram. The linga 

of Sreekanteswara (Siva) is believed to be on the samadhi of Sage Kanwa. Chettikulam, a pond nearby that was reclaimed decades ago, is referred to in Syanandura Purana Samuchaya and Anantapura Varnana as Kanvatirtha. This lends credence to the belief that Old Sreekanteswaram and Chettikulangara formed part of Kanwa Tapovana. The idol of Sri Krishna was installed later to reduce the ferocity of Siva. The idols of Lord Ganesa and Nagar are also there in the temple. Maha Sivaratri and Thiruvatira are the days which attract huge crowds to the temple. Vanchiyoor Athiyara Potti is the Tantri of the temple. The Potti is a heriditary member of the Ettarayogam which used to be the governing body of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.

         Before being taken over by the Travancore Devaswom Board, Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram belonged to a prominent 

Nair taravad by name Kovilvila. The family traces its roots to North Kerala. The members of this taravad have been upasakas of Sreechakram (Lalita Parameswari) and Kalari Bhadrakali for centuries. A new temple by name Kovilvila Bhagavati Temple was conctructed for housing Kalari Bhagavati, Meru Sreechakram, Karanavar and Nagar in a piece of land adjacent to Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram. This piece of land belonged to Kovilvila L Parukkutti Amma, the wife of Justice K S Govinda Pillai. Being the day of installation, Uthram in the month of Meenom, is the most important day in the temple calendar. Women devotees offer Pongala to the Goddess on that day. Thrippunithura Puliyannoor Murali Narayanan Nambuthiripad is the Tantri of the temple. Puliyannoor Mana has tantram in many other temples including Chottanikkara Bhagavati Temple and Thrippunithura Sree Poornatrayeesa Temple.

References

Charitrathinte Paschathalathil - Prof Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai. "The Glory of Sreekanteswaram" Metroplus, The Hindu dated March 15, 2004 - Dr M G Sasibhooshan and Bindu Sasibhooshan. History of Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple till 1758 - Dr A G Menon