[Image from http://www.thrikodithanam.org]
Also known as ThirukOdithAnam, this is one of the malai nAdu divya dEsams.
Location and Access:
ThirukkadithAnam is located 3 km east of the town of
ChengannAchEry near TiruvallA in the south Indian state of kEraLA. ChengannAchEry
is located 8 km from TiruvallA on the road leading to Kottayam. It is one of
the Divya dEsams that can be covered with the town of TiruvallA as the travel
base (There are no facilities for lodging in ThirukkadithAnam itself). From
TiruvallA, this divya dEsam can be reached by bus.
Legends and History:
It is believed that this temple was renovated by SahAdEva,
the youngest of the five pAndavA brothers of mahAbhArathA fame. Further it is
believed that the idol of KrishnA installed here by SahAdEva shines with
renewed holiness every 60 years. It is predicted that this idol will merge with
the sky in the form of a blaze of light at the end of kali yugam.
Another interesting story associated with this temple is
that of King RukmAngadA of the solar (surya) dynasty. The King maintained a
beautiful garden. The dEvAs (demi-gods) used to steal flowers from this garden
for worship of Lord SrI Vishnu. When the King discovered the theft of flowers
from his garden, he had the devAs captured and imprisoned. Later, realizing who
they were, he apologized and allowed them to leave. But, having been deprived
of their powers, the devAs could not return to their heavenly abodes. To
facilitate their return, King RukmAngadA undertook penance at this Divya dEsam
every EkAdEsi day and gave away the fruits of his penance to the dEvAs.
The Temple:
The thAyAr here is known as sri karpagavalli and the
perumAL here is called sri arputha
nArAyanan or amirtha nArAyanan. There are separate sannidhis for SrI narasimhA
and SrI krishnA. The temple is built in the typical kEraLA style of
architecture.
An interesting statue :
Outside this temple, we see a rather weird statue – which
shows a man lying stiff horizontally on a vertical stone pillar. This statue
represents a person (a local king) who once entered the temple after it had
been closed for the day after the regular hours of worship. He was severely
punished and as a deterrent for potential offenders, his statue was put up near
the very temple whose protocol he tried
to violate. In the kEralA protocol of worship, it is considered extremely
unacceptable to enter the temple after the normal hours of prayer in the
evening.
External references:
This webpage has a lot of information on the temple at ThirukodithAnam
:http://www.thrikodithanam.org/
AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:
SrI nammAzhwAr: 3502-12
[Note: The numbering convention for the pAsurams seems to
differ in various Divya Prabandham books. In some Divya Prabandham books, the
same pAsurams by srI nammAzhwAr are listed as verse numbers 2909-2919]
A sample pAsuram:
கொண்மின்
இடர் கெட உள்ளத்துக் கோவிந்தன்
மண் விண் முழுதும் அளந்த
ஒண் தாமரை
மண்ணவர்
தாம் தொழ வானவர் தாம்
வந்து
நண்ணு திருக்கடித்தான நகரே.
In this pAsuram, sri nammAzhwAr says: To end all your miseries, worship in your heart, GovindA, who measured the Earth and the Sky and who is worshipped by the people of the Earth and the Gods in the divya dEsam of ThirukkadithAnam.
Sri karpagavalli thAyAr samEtha sri arputha nArAyanan thiruvadigaLae saraNam
