MYSTICAL TALES
There are many mystical stories shared by the ancestors around the Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly temples, the Serpent Grooves and other similar revelation or presence of these Deities and Upasana Moorthis. Few such experience are summarized below as anecdotes.
DharmaDevathas of Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly
Most of the ancient families in Kerala, had the concept of DharmaDevatha/ Family Deity. In Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly Tharavadu too, temple for the DharmaDevatha was built, consecrated and housed near their ancestral home. It is the duty of each family member to serve, worship and maintain the DharmaDevatha Temple as long as the family lineage exists. The Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly families still continue these practices.
The family members believe that the blessings of these Deities are the key to the protection, prosperity and unity in the family. Ancestors remember many such moments that proved the presence of Bhagwathi.
Presence of Aryaveedu Kuttanapilly Bhagwati
Ammē Mahāmāyē śaraṇaṁ
Belief is that whoever calls The Aryaveedu Bhagavathi with devotion, she answers their prayers.
Chandrasekharan Elayadom, one of the Karnavars shared his mystical experience connected to the temple. Aryaveedu temple is located at the northern side of the Tharavadu. Temple is visible from the Tharavadu courtyard, as those days there was no compound walls, but just a small stream separating it from the Tharavadu compound.
One day, he woke up in the middle of the night, so he went out to the courtyard. When he glanced towards the temple, he saw a Divine lady circumambulate the temple. After circumambulation, the Divine lady vanished into the sanctum.
Other ancestors also had testified about experiencing or occurrence of similar divine sightings. Everyone believes that, it is none other than Aryaveedu Bhagwati herself.
Another experience shared by the ancestors is related to the Thrikarthika Day. It is said that many of the ancestors had visualized a divine light moving from the Aryaveedu Bhagavathy temple towards east direction on Thrikarthika night.
That Divine light reached the Kuttanappilly Bhagavathy temple, where it got joined by another Divine light. These two lights then started moving towards Ayyambilly Kavu Bhagavathy temple, Eroor. From there one more divine light joined, and the Trio remained there for sometime and thereafter returned to their respective temples.
It is believed that the Trio are sisters representing the three Deities. Ancestors considered this phenomenon as “Thervazhcha or Therottam” and initiated Trikala pooja on Karthika nakshatra (Malayalam calendar) at the Aryaveedu Bhagwathi Temple.
Neighbours had also recounted similar experiences associated with the above incidents.
Grandmother Parukutty, the first thing everyone talks about is, her love for Thiruvathira night, and the events connected to the traditions followed by the women folks in earlier Hindu Tharavadu. A day long fasting, followed by the Thudichukuli at the Tharavadu ponds, Pathirapoochoodal, making of Ettangadi (food made with 8 types of pulses & root veggies) and whole night Thiruvathirakali (a type of dance form). Sharing an experience narrated by her and others from one of their Thiruvathira night.
In the olden days, houses were built far apart. Unlike today, were houses and these concrete jungle are like mushrooms grown, with not even a space to pierce a needle. Earlier lots of lands and trees surround a house, it may be built in the middle of a large fields, nearby there will be two or three ponds, a small clear water stream or a creek, and a mud road between these large lonely compounds leading to a deserted street. Most Hindu ancestral Tharavadu will have their own worship place which was consecrated with Dharma Devatha and other Deities, small serpent forest and the temple pond.
The Aryaveedu and the Kuttanappilly ancestral houses were also like that, huge compound around it. To reach the main public road from the Tharavadu, need to have a short walk through these private mud roads, cross the fields, streams, their temple and the temple pond. The other houses in that area were across the main road.
Parukutty granny and the other family members daily in the evenings, take bath in the temple pond, visit the temple and do the twilight pujas and prayers. Once the temple is closed in the evening, usually no one will be seen in that area. Rarely few people took bath in the temple pond at night. These areas are generally dark even when the street lights are on. There were no full-fledged streetlights or over-lit lamps like the current period. For a long time, Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly family members and their neighbours used to travel in these roads by carrying small fire lamps or by lighting fire on fire woods /dry bunch of leaves on a stick.
Thiruvathira which comes in the Malayalam month of Dhanu, is considered very special event by Hindu women. It was the time, all the women folks of the nearby houses comes together and celebrate. Those period, all the women at Aryaveedu and Kuttanappilly family, and their neighbouring families used to gather and celebrate at the ancestral Tharavadu. For three days, they fast, make special foods and celebrate Thiruvathira for their brothers, their children and their husband. Those days these were time for themselves, catch up with friends and their pastimes.
Parukutty granny’s mother Nangu Kunjamma, sister Mangu Kunjamma, cousins Kutty, Kunjulakshmi, Kavukutty, Narayani, their daughters and nieces Devuti, Lakshmi, Vilasini, Karthayani, Parukutty (most of them used to have the same names), Janaki, Kamala, Saraswathi, and rest of all the other ladies from the family and neighbours used to make the night of Lent a memorable night. Thiruvathira is often associated with Thudichukuli (bathing in the pond by beating the water and playing), Thiruvathirakali, having betel leaves and areca nut, Pathirapoochodal (adorning hair with flowers at Midnight) and making and savouring Ettangadi. These grannies enjoyed talking about singing, playing, dancing, laughing, bathing in the pond in the night, playing pranks and teasing each other. It’s fun to watch them becoming kids and could hear naughtiness and laughter in their eyes and voice when they talk about it.
Granny talked about an incident from such a night. On Thiruvathira night, the men in the family are not allowed in the ancestral house. They all gather at one of the family members’ house or at a neighbour’s hose. Its a time for them also to enjoy without the females. They all sit and talk or play cards or have their own fun games. Then there are these sneaky guys, who will disguised as women and try to gate crash into these women events, and who were caught red handed. Few such funny incidents will be narrated later.
Among the youngsters they had a bet as part of the event. The bet was that two of them should go to the nearby temple in the middle of the night, bathe in the pool, go round the temple, and return to the house. The lot fell on Parukutty and Narayani grannies name. Both gathering all their courage, started walking in the dark lonely road through the woods towards the temple carrying a fire lamp, and chanting prayers.
Grandmother used to get Goosebumps, gets excited and her face lights up, whenever she talks about the sight they saw as they almost neared the temple.
They saw children holding lamps and a glorious lady with them. There was also a huge man guarding them. After bathing in the temple pool, the lady walked with her entourage to the temple, and reaching the front of the sanctum, everyone suddenly disappeared.
Seeing this, they were frightened. They threw the lamp down and dashed back to the house without looking back. When they got home and recounted this incident to the adults in the family, they realized that this was not the first time that such an incident had happened. Before this, many have testified that they have seen a divine light, or a divine woman or a man, around the temple area.
When the Karnavars and elders of the family came to know about this, they scolded the mothers for allowing the youngsters to go to the temple in the middle of the night. The Karnavars of the family had Upasana, Upasana Moorthis and knew to an extend look into such things. Through their pujas, they found out that the Divine lady was none other than the family Goddess and the girls were the entourage of the Goddess. It is believed that the white-bearded man on guard, was the family Karnavar who protects the family. Many family and locals has recounted witnessing this huge man time to time near the houses and temple area.
As Thiruvathira is a womens event, the daughters go with their mothers and the boys either stay at their home or go with their fathers. Boys get curious, so sometimes they plan to sneek to the event and try to trick their grannies, mother, aunts, sisters and cousins by dressing as women.
Gopala Panicker, son of Lakshmi Kunjamma, was very jovial and prankish. He was affectionately known as Gopi or Gopichettan, and everyone loved to share stories about his mischievous. The boys gang looked upon him as he was the helm of all these pranks. No one was behind him, they used to stand with him in these deeds or were the ones who encouraged him.
One such Thiruvathira night, the boys gang decided to gate crash and prank the women folks. Only way to get into the venue was by dressing like a female. So the question arose, who will do it ? Answer was very clear, who else the Great Prankster, Gopala Panicker. He enjoyed these ventures entrusted by his cousins, and whole heartedly undertook the adventure.
Pathumma, she was their neighbour, who used to come to meet and chit chat with the female folks in the tharavadu. Pathumma used to wear full sleeve blouse, dhothi, and cover her head with folded cloth in a special way. He disguised as Pathumma, went to the Tharavadu at night. Women folk welcomed Pathumma, and started chatting with her. To avoid getting caught, he used the head cloth shadow to fall on his face, stood at a dimly lit area, tried nodding his head in most conversations and to an extent spoke in false female voice. Initially no one doubted him, but later his smart cousins caught him red handed and his mom and granny playfully scolded him and asked him to go back home immediately.
Gopi Valiyachan laughingly took leave from there and was very excited and eager to share his experience with the boys gang. He walked fast through the dark lonely road to where his cousins were waiting. To reach the house, he had to walk past the Tharavadu temple and the temple pond. He was having a smile on his face, overjoyed at the aspect of tricking his mom and others. As he neared the temple, he saw a light, heard someone singing, and the sound of someone swimming and playing in the temple pool. He without making any sound walked and peaked through the night and he saw a divine female in the temple pool. He stepped on a twig and it broke, hearing the sound of it, before his eyes the female figure disappeared. He was paralyzed for a minute with fear, not able to believe what he just saw. Once he came out of the trance, he ran fast as he could to his house.
It is believed that the presence of the Goddess is present/felt in the vicinity of the temple. The sub-deities like Kaappiri, Serpent, and the Karnavar guard the Dharmadevatha. Ancestors believed that these entities blessings, enhance the well-beings and prosperity of the family.
Just as the ancestors cared and worshiped these deities, the present generation should also continue.
