Venue: Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Thrissur, Kerala.
Thiruvallakkavu Navratri Festival is one of the most auspicious and much-awaited festivals of the Hindus, which is dedicated to Goddess Durga, and it spans for nine days in God’s Own Country, Kerala. The final day of this Navratri Festival is called Vijayadashami, which is considered the most propitious time to start new ventures, academics, and any other skills like dance, music, drawing, etc. It is the day young children are introduced to the world of letters and knowledge for the first time.
There is a temple in Thrissur district of Kerala, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, called Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, which celebrates the nine-day Navratri Festival with great devotion and passion. The temple is so famous for its Vidyarambham Ceremony, which is observed on the Vijayadashami day.
Would you like to know more about this temple? Here we have some information about the Thiruvallakavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple’s Navaratri Festival in Thrissur and the ritual practising during the Navaratri or Dasara festival days.
Thrissur is one of the largest cities in the state of Kerala. The city of Thrissur is also called the cultural capital of Kerala because of its cultural and religious significance in history. The city is most famous for the Pooram festival and is home to important temples and temple festivals. It has a large number of historic temples such as Vadakkunnathan temple, Thiruvambady temple and Paramekkavu temple, and two well-known churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral and the Our Lady of Dolours Basilica, alias Puthanpally (Malayalam: പുത്തൻപള്ളി, meaning: New Church) (the biggest in South Asia). Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharmasastha Temple is also one of the important temples in this list in Thrissur.
About Thiruvullakkavu Festival :
The major celebration of Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is the Navratri Festival and the ceremony of Vidyarambham. It is observed in the Malayalam month of Kanni, which usually falls between the months of September and October.
Thousands of devotees flock to the Thiruvullakkavu Temple on the Vijayadashami day with their children for the Vidhyarambham ritual to initiate them into the world of letters with the blessings of Lord Ayyappa. The Vidhyarambham ceremony of Thiruvullakkavu Temple starts very early in the morning, at about 4 Am. This ritual is known as ‘Ezhuthiniruthu’ in the Malayalam language which involves the acharya inscribing words symbolising the name of God, “”Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namaha”” on the tongue of young children between the age of 3 to 5 years with a golden ring to invoke the grace of Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning and thus, welcome them to the world of knowledge.
Even though Vidyarambham or ezhuthiniruthu celebrates the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the tradition is so widely revered that it has crossed all religious boundaries. All of this goes hand in hand, irrespective of the community or religious background.
The children are also made to write the mantra on sand or on a plate of rice grains, which symbolises procuring knowledge that leads to prosperity. The devotees believe that a child who starts his first lesson on the alphabet at Vidhyarambham is sure to become a scholar. It is an auspicious ritual observed in all the Saraswathi Temples in India also.
Even though Vidyarambham or Ezhuthibiruthu is celebrated as the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the tradition is so widely revered that it has crossed all religious boundaries. Now, people in Kerala, irrespective of religion, also follow the tradition of writing on sand or on a plate of rice grains and thus lay the foundation of learning.
Speciality of Thiruvullakkavu Temple:
Thiruvullakkavu Temple is one of the most significant pilgrimage centres in Thrissur district of Kerala and is considered an “abode of wisdom” by the devotees. Unlike other temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, the Thiruvullakkavu Temple celebrates Vidyarambham as its major festival. Many eminent writers and poets have entered the world of Letters from this significant temple.
Another speciality of Thiruvullakkavu Temple is that it is the only temple in Kerala where ‘naavum narayavum’ (models of pen & tongue) made of silver and gold are offered to the deity by the devotees.
On this special festival occasion, book your tour to Kerala and visit this temple on your trip with well-crafted, customised tour packages for you to enjoy the celebrations of the Navratri Festival in Thiruvullakkavu and other prominent temples in Kerala.
Getting There:
- Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport, about 43.6 Km.
- Nearest Railway Station: Thrissur Railway Station, about 10 Km.
- Nearest Bus Station: Thrissur Bus Station, about 9.4 Km.
With a number of beautiful and ancient temples in Kerala, it is no wrong to call Kerala ‘God’s own country’. The Kerala Temple tour offers you the real meaning of spiritualism, full of excitement and happiness. Kerala Temple tour becomes more interesting if you belong to North India or any other places in the world. It is one of the best places for people who are attracted to spiritualism.
