Sree Mahadeva Temple, Annamanada

Datable to ancient period, the temple has a swayambhoo idol. The legend says that when once an agricultural woman was cutting grass her blade touched a granite stone from which blood oozed out immediately. A deva-prashnam held revealed that the granite stone possessed chaitanya of Lord Siva. Immediate arrangements were made to consecrate the idol and a temple was subsequently built.

The temple earlier belonged to ten Nampoothiris manas including Maprampalli, Kashamkottam. Kitaykavattam and Kuraykattuvalli. The temple later became an important landmark in the conflicts between Zamuthiri, Cochin and Travancore Rajas. They controlled the affairs of the temple. Recorded history indicates that in 1713 A.D., Villarvattam Swaroopam attacked and took away the canoe used by the temple authorities in the Chalakudi River and the temple was set on fire. The ooralar Nampoothiris approached Zamuthiri Raja for protection, who in turn entrusted the protection of the temple to Mangatt Achan. In 1761 A.D. Travancore and Cochin signed a treaty of peace and as a result Zamuthiri lost suzerainty over the region. The Cochin Raja authorized Vellos Nambiar to supervise the affairs of the temple. The Nampoothiris ooralar did not like this arrangement and they approached the Raja of Travancore and handed over the administration of the temple to him. For some time the temple was administered by representative of Travancore Raja. In the meantime the Cochin Raja purchased the lands that belonged to a branch of Palakkad Raja and thereby Cochin Raja once again exercised full control on the temple. Thereafter the Cochin Raja administered the temple. Again there were some disputes on the authority of the temple between Cochin and Travancore, during 1814-15 Ward and Conner (the two distinguished officers of the British Government) looked into the matter and they took a decision in favour of Cochin Raja. However, Justice J.C. Hanington gave some special privileges to Travancore. As Travancore found it difficult to enforce its special privileges in the temple, the rights were relinquished in 1902. Thereafter Cochin Raja administered the temple till 1950, when it was transferred to the Cochin Devaswam Board. The Devaswam Officer appointed by the Board administers the temple.

Earlier the temple owned paddy fields, which fetched 21,000 paras of paddy per annum as paatam, besides 5.40 acres of dry lands. Now the temple owns only 5.40 acres of which 2.81 acres constitute the temple complex. The structures thereon are Sreekovil with mukha-mandapam, sub shrines, chuttambalam with agra-mandapam, valiya-balikkall, dhwajam, Deepastambham, puram-mathil, gopuras, well and a pond.

The square dwi-thala Sreekovil of sandhaara type and facing east has granite adhishthaanam with mouldings of paadukam, jagathi, Vrutha-kumudam, kamuda padi, kampam, galam, gala-padi, kampam, galam, gala-padi, valaru and padi. The Sreekovil has a mukha-mandapam. There are six direct steps each on the south and north of the main mandapam. Vyaali faces are seen on the top of banisters. The pranaalam has Makara-simha face at the base, plain sundu with rings and go-mukham end. The sundu is supported by the figurine of a Yakshi whose head is covered with the hood of a serpent as canopy. The laterite-stone walls have 20 pillars and niches. Lord Ganapati and Sree Parvathy are installed at south and west of the antharaalams with functional door facing them. The northern side has a ghanadwaaram. The roof is covered with copper sheets. The well is at northeast of the akathe-balivattam.

The chuttambalam has entrances at east, west and north. The thidappali is at southeast. The valiyambalam used for performing Koothu. Chuttu-vilakks are fixed on the outer walls of chuttambalam.

The temple has a separate prakaram of vilakkumaadam and at its northern side there is a unique circular sub-shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There is also a namaskaara mandapam within this vilakkumaadam facing this deity.

Sree Nandikeswara is installed within the agra-mandapam. The Valiya-balikkal is outside the agra-mandapam. The teak dhwajam covered with copper paras has a height of 10.98 m. The bronze Deepastambham was installed 1953 A.D. At southeast there is a shrine for Lord Shastha facing west.

Another shrine dedicated to Lord Goshala Krishnan is at southwest facing cast. Sila deepastambhams are installed for both these shrines. Dwi-thala gopuras are seen on eastern and western sides. The compound wall is built in the shape of elephant’s belly at the top and it has a height of about 3 m. and a width of 75 cm. At the inner corners of maryaada there are beautiful trees, three Arayaals (Banyan tree) and one Peraal. Outside the maryaada there are the sub-shrines of Goddess Bhadrakali at the southeast corner, Lord Narasimhamoorthy and Goddess Durga at northeast, all the three facing west. Close to Lord Narasimhamoorthy shrine the Chalakudi river flows. There are two wells (one at the northern vilakkumaadam and the other at southwest and outside vilakkumaadam) and a teerthakulam at northeast within maryaada. A tank is located outside the maryaada at northeast. It is reported that the wells and teerthakulam are interconnected.

Wood carvings exist at the walls of the Sreekovil depicting Kiratha episode, while those at the gopuras are related to palaazhi-madhanam.

The swayambhoo sila linga idol of Lord Siva has a height of 75 cm. and has the sankalpam of Sree Kirathamoorthy. The top portion of the idol is slightly concealed. The sila idol of Lord Ganapati is of sitting pose (45 cm.). The idol of Sree Parvathi is of standing pose (45 cm.) and made of pancha-loha with the sankalpam of Sree kirathi. All other idols are made of sila, Lord Vishnu in standing pose (135 cm.), Lord Shastha in sitting pose (75 cm.), Lord Goshala Krishna in standing pose (90 cm.), and Goddess

Durga of mirror type (75 cm.), Goddess Bhadrakali of mirror type (45 cm.) covered with a bronze golaka and Sree Narasimhamoorthy in standing pose (121 cm.).

The temple is kept open from 4-30 to 10-30 a.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.

Five Poojas are done daily,

Usha-pooja (5-30 a.m.)

Ethrithu-pooja (6 a.m.)

Pantheeradi-pooja (7:30 a.m.)

Uccha-pooja (9-30 a.m.)

Athaazha-pooja (7p.m.)

Sreebali is done in the morning with the usual accompaniments.

Jaladhara, ney-payasam, Sharkara-Thulabharam, Appam, pushpanjali and Oil-lamp are the vazhippadu of which Jaladhara and Sharkara-Thulabharam are important.

The annual festival is held for 10 days, the last and important day being Thiruvathira nakshatram of Kumbham. Kathakali, thullal, chakyar-koothu are also staged on festival days, besides conducting all Ulsavam-rites.

Details of the thantri who performed the initial rites to the swayambhoo idol are not known. The present thantris belong to two manas-Vezhaparambu and Avanaparambu. The shanthikkar is appointed from Malayali Brahmins. The other staff includes, three maala kazhakam, two sambandhis, three vadhyakkars and adichu-tali.

Situated 18 km. southwest of Chalakudi at Annamanada and thence 500 m. southeast, the temple is connected by tarred road. Chalakudi River flows east of the temple. Facilities for stay are available at Chalakudi.