Vadakunnathan Shiva temple, Thrissur - part two (the outside prakaaram)

Part 1

After worshipping Vadakunnathan, we step out to continue our darshan. First is the Sri Moolasthanam, where the Lord was originally placed. We move ahead to pay our respects to Goshala Krishnan, or Krishna, lord of the cow shed. Earlier it was a true goshala, with cows relaxing in the small enclosure, and the fragrance of cow dung permeating the surroundings. Krishna is believed to be fond of the aroma. Sadly today there is not a single cow in sight! The cowherd Krishna is without his cows! We walk ahead and enter the sannidhi of Vrishabha swamy. We clap our hands to attract his attention, as swamy is believed to be deaf. The devout also pull out threads from their garments and leave it as offerings to Vrishabha swamy. We head out to the next shrine. 

The next shrine is dedicated to Lord Parashurama. Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, is often credited as the creator of Kerala. He is said to have reclaimed the land from the sea with a strike of his axe. He is also believed to have consecrated the Vadakunnathan temple, and invited Lord Shiva to come and reside here. We pay our respects to Parashuraman and move on. 

Next on our list is Simhodaran, whose shrine comes on the pradakshinam path. He is said to be a gana (soldier) in Lord Shiva’s army, and his stomach resembles the face of a lion. After paying respects to Simhodaran, we are to face north, and offer our prayers to Kashi Vishwanathan. Standing there; we turn towards the (inner) wall, and through a gap in the wall, we view the holy kalasham of Lord Vadakunnathan. 

A little ahead is a small concrete platform. We climb on it and turn northward to pay our respects to Chidambaranathan. This done, we turn to the east and send our prayers to Lord Sethunathan. 

We continue our walk on the pradakshinam path. At the southern entrance (marked by a huge unopened gate), we pause and pay our respects to Kodungaloor Devi. We then face south-west, and pay our respects to Koodalmanikyam Swami (the famous temple dedicated to Lord Bharatha, Sri Rama’s brother), and Oorakathamma. Standing there, we again turn towards Lord Vadakunnathan, and catch a glimpse of his golden kalasham. 

We continue on the path and bow before Vettaikaran, Lord Shiva as the hunter. We turn towards Vyasa murthy, or Veda Vyasa, the famous author of the epic Mahabharatam. We write the words, ‘Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namaha’ on the concrete block with our fingers as pens. Devotees are seen looking for a free spot to write the verse that marks Vidyarambham, or the start of education. We move ahead and pay our respects to Lord Ayyappa, the son of Lord Shiva. 

A little ahead is a spot that marks the place where soil from the mruthasanjeevani was dropped. It is believed that the sacred healing herb fell on this spot when Lord Hanuman was flying with the mountain to bring the herb to an injured Lakshmana. We touch the soil and bring it to our heads. Further down, in a secluded spot sits Nagaraja, the serpent Lord. We bow before him and continue on the path. We can see the western gate from where we entered the temple. 

Close to the gate is a shrine dedicated to Jagadguru Shankaracharya, the young sage who propounded the Advaita philosophy. A small board next to the shrine speaks of the acharya, and tells us how his parents worshipped at the Vadakunnathan temple before they finally bore him as their son. 

The last on our long pilgrimage is Shankhu Chakra. The conch and discus are the symbols of Lord Vishnu. We bow before the Shankhu and Chakra, and exit through the west gate, content after a long and fulfilling devalaya darshanam! I hope you enjoyed this trip. Next Friday, we will visit a different devalayam. Till then, stay safe, and stay devout!