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Legend Regarding Goddess Hemambika Known
as EMOOR BHAGAVATHY
It is believed that
four Ambika Temples Goddess Balambika at Cape-Comerin Goddess Lokambika at
Loakanarkavu near Badagara, Goddess Mookambika at Mangalore and Goddess
Hemambika at Palakkad were consecrated by Parashurama for the safety of Kerala,
the Land of recovered from the Sea.
The God’s Own Country
Kerala and its devotees are always highly blessed with unstinting benedictions
of her Highness. About 15 KM away from the present Malampuzha reservoir, in the
inaccessible valley of the dense Vadamala forest, a section of the Western
Ghats(Paschima Ghatta), locally known as Muthikulam, Mudiyolambi, Aduppukootty,
Poonkavanam etc., there was a divine shrine of Goddess Durga. The legend says
that Kurur and Kaimukku Nampoothiris used to visit this holey place daily for
worship, crossing the protected tempestuous mountains tracks on naked feet.
Years passed on without any change in their daily routine. One day while
returning home after worship, due to the vagaries of old age, they were forced
to take rest under a tree. An old woman appeared before them and gave them some
sweet fruits which they gladly accepted. They were suddenly relived of their
fatigue and felt surprisingly refreshed. These two ardent devotees on their
journey next day, reached near the tree to find a huge elephant standing before
them. Beside the elephant they had the ‘Darshan’ of the golden coloured
Goddess. From that day onwards, they started worshipping the Goddess under the
tree. Kurur was incapacitated by old age and found it difficult to carry out
the daily routine of worship in the mountain. One night, Goddess papered before
him in his dream and consoled him that she will be seen in the pond near his
house and can worship her there. Early next morning the radiant devotees rushed
towards the pond and found two beautiful hands coming out of water in the
middle of the lake. Kurur, on his excitement, jumped into the pond, swam to the
centre and caught of hold of the hands. Immediately, the hands turned into
stone, becomes stationary. The Kallekulangara, where the temple is situated,
derives its name from this incident. With the help of the friend Kaimukku Kuru
worshipped the hands. The present temple was constructed by filling the lake
around those divine hands. The Five Ponds surrounding the temple amply prove
that the temple was constructed on the land reclaimed from the lake. Kurur
instructed the local ruler, Shekhari Verma Valiya Raja of Palakkad for
commencing the work of constructing the temple. To-day, the Executive Officer,
appointed by the Malabar Devaswom Board looks after the day to-day
administration of the temple.
It was Aadi Shankara
who brought an order in the mode of daily worship and decided upon the
different offerings to the deity. The Goddess is worshipped as Saraswathy in
the Morning, as Lakshmi at Noon and as Durga in Evening. The very old Shiva
Temple of Chendamangalam and the Shiva and Shastha Temple of Easwaramangalam
are in the vicinity of Hemambika Temple which have greatly contributed to the
sanctity of place. Besides the major festivals of Dassara, Shivarathri, Mandala
Pooja, Easwaraseva etc., and many holy days are systematically celebrated here.
Important offerings to the Goddess are Naivilakku (Ghee Lamp), Kalabham (Sandal
Paste), Chathussatham, Naipayasam etc., Hemambika Sanskrit High School, an
educational institution of prominence is being run under the guidance of the
Devaswom, mainly with a view of propagating and improving the study of sacred
language (Deva Bhasha) Sanskrit. One famous Elephant named “Rajagopalan” owned
by Kallekulangara Devaswom.
The Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday are the most auspicious days here. It is presumed that the
Deity appears as Saraswathy Devi in the dawn, Lakshmi Devi at noon and Sree
Devidurga at dusk and combination of Pooja is conducted with an assumption of
the distinctive Bhava Swaroopa of the Goddess. To safeguard the malefic effects
of Jupiter, Offering shall be given to Guruvayurappan, as told by the ancient
Astro-Stalwarts. Alike this faith, to eliminate the malefic effects of
Goddesses, offering shall be rendered to Emoor Sreebhagavathy. Among the
thidhis, Ashtami is considered here as propitious. Vidyarambham ceremony is
also conducted with strong devotion.
Thousands of devotees
flock to Her sanctum sanctoram and call out to Her forgetting themselves. She
protects them all with Her boundless love. The number of renowned personages
from various fields of life who rush to prostrate before Her, the embodiment of
the Ultimate Truth, is increasing day by day. Late Smt.Indira Gandhi, former
Prime Minister of India, was prominent among them.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
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