Vilwadrinatha Temple located at Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur District of Kerala is a famous Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana. One of the four famous temples in Kerala dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple is one of the rarest temples in India where both Rama and Lakshmana are present.
Thiruvilwamala is a village and therefore offers scenic view of the nature around the temple. The temple is situated on the top of a hill 100ft above the sea level. The second largest river in Kerala, the Bharathapuzha can be seen from the temple. There are many stories associated with the temple.
History
It is believed that Lord Parashurama – an avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu consecrated the idol of Lord Vishnu, at Vilwadrinatha temple. Sage Amalaka also did penance here and Lord Vishnu appeared before him. He requested Vishnu’s presence here in this place to give protection to the people. Vishnu agreed to Amalaka’s request and turned himself into an idol (Swayambhu) with his consorts and Ananta.
The main temple gate is from the west. The place where Amalaka did his penance is known as Saraswathikund. There are two shrines in the temple. The idol of Lord Rama is in the west facing Shrine which is about 5ft tall and made of “Patanjali Sila” which is a rare kind of stone. The idol of Lord Lakshmana is in the east facing Shrine and about 3ft tall. It is also made of the same type of stone.
Administration
Earlier the temple was controlled by five Moosad families. It was believed that they were given the responsibility of the temple by Parashurama. Later the Zamorins (Samoothiri of Kozhikode) took over the control.
Punarjani Cave (Guha)
Punarjani Guha is a situated in Bhoothamala towards the south east. A natural, 150m long tunnel is one of the major attractions of Thiruvilwamala. One has to crawl through the tunnel. It is believed that one gets free from all the sins (Papa) after crawling through this tunnel. At the end of the tunnel there are some steps to come out of it. The height gets reduced from 6ft in the beginning to a height where one can only crawl through, inside the tunnel. Only men are allowed to go inside the cave and it is allowed only on one day – the Guruvayur Ekadashi day.
It is a “Must Place” to visit and you will enjoy it definitely.
