Koodalmanikyam Temple (Kerala)

The temple holds its chief annual festival for
ten days each year in the month of Medam
(April/May).

Koodalmanikyam Temple (Kerala) Hindu Temples

Koodalmanikyam Temple or Kudal Manikkam Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in Irinjalakuda, a small town in Trissur district, Kerala, India. Koodalmanikyam Temple has two unique features: the temple holds the image of only one deity even though most large temples in India have several; and it is also the only temple in India dedicated to the worship of Bharata (Lord Sangameshwara), the brother of Lord Rama. Thachudaya kaimal is the caretaker of the temple. The temple is one of four in Kerala that form a set called Nalambalam, with each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in the Ramayana epic: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Ponds

Four vast ponds surround the temple. The two largest are Kuttan Kulam, located outside the compound on the eastern side, and Kulipini Theertham, located inside the compound. Kulipini Theertham is believed to be sanctified by the sage Kulipini Maharshi, who held a great ritual sacrifice, a yajna, at the spot.

Annul Festival

The temple holds its chief annual festival for ten days each year in the month of Medam (April/May). The first day of the festival is calculated by the appearance of the Uthram asterism, and signified by hoisting a ceremonial flag. (The start day falls one day after the famous Thrissur Pooram festival in nearby Thrissur).

Each day of the festival, a seeveli (procession of caparisoned temple elephants) is held twice, one in the morning and once at night, to the accompaniment of Panchari melam (sacred music). Seventeen elephants take part. Two features of the seeveli are unique to the Koodalmanikyam Temple: first that two baby elephants are included in the procession, one standing on each side of the elephant carrying the deity. Second, while the headdresses ('Netti pattam' in Malayalam) of seven elephants are made of pure gold, the rest are made of pure silver.

The last two days of the festival feature Panchavadyam (sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments), and the festival ends at the Thiruvonam asterism.

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