By Rajiv Theodore
Kozhikode, Dec. 19, 2019: For almost 1,500 years to this day a certain amalgam of sandalwood paste is applied on a wooden stump as an annual ritual at the shrine of Lokanarkavu Devi temple situated in the hamlet of Memunda, in Vadakara which is an hour drive north from Kozhikode.
‘’This small wooden log is the epicenter of this shrine complex as it pulsates with latent energy. The sandalwood mix pasted on the centuries old log contains a huge amount of energy. This energy was transferred to the log from the devī of the Lokanar kavu,’’ Madhavan Nair chairman of the temple, in told Matters India.
‘’This energy had to be contained and further channelized, just like electricity is reigned in and used in a manner that could be beneficial. And we can say that through the complex rituals of Pratishta (installation ceremony), a powerful and a particular field of God’s vibration is created. These are some of the aspects of the temple ritual at the shrine complex, but also replicated in other temples of Kerala as well. The metal plaque, which is made up of polished iron is the focal point for the worshipers. It is worshiped as Saraswati in the early mornings, in the afternoons as Lakshmi and in the night as Durga. Three Aradhana’s are done each day,’’ says Nair.
Welcome to the world of devī worship of Kerala. The veneration of divinity in the female form is so extensive that the tradition is more about a way of life than going through the paces of a religion. The goddess may take the form of a simple rock, a mound of mud, a wooden carving, a bronze statue, a painting, a poster, a sword, a tree dead or living. This devī worship has been the force majeure for much of the social fabric in India especially so in Kerala. From cooking to business, to dance forms and sculptures, to seeking knowledge and even worldly pleasure the Devi is the fount from where all success and joy flows. She also functions as the protector, provider and punisher (of a village for e.g.) and thus must be constantly propitiated, worshiped and consulted to assure order and avert disease and disaster.
In Kerala too, the very existence of the universe itself is attributed to the devī and the worshiper is directed to a state of complete identification with this Goddess who is worshiped as the supreme creator through the tantric practice of Sri Vidya or as the name suggests ( to attain) the supreme spiritual knowledge. As part of this practice the devout installs the goddess into his/her own body through the Sri Yantra, a mystical diagram, which is a complete geometric representation of the goddess symbolizing the cosmos. The very existence of the universe itself is attributed to the devī and the worshiper is directed to a state of complete identification with the goddess. ‘’The feminine aspects of the goddess even reside in the great gods Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, and Brahma..’’ says Paresh Venkalath, who has been closely watching Kerala’s temples for decades.
Also associated with a large number of such temples in Kerala is the ancient philosophy of Tantra. Generally speaking, The word “Tantrism” is assuredly a Western creation. India traditionally knows only texts called Tantras. In India it is also known as the tantraśāstra, “the teaching of the Tantras,” . “Tantric,” which is different to vaidika, “Vedic or Vedic tradition and rites.
The word Tantra could be a confusing term as it could suggest a range of connotations from black magic to the erotic. Depending upon the geographical area, tantra can be divided into Kashmiri Tibetan ,Vanga and finally Kerala tantra. The first three deal with individual salvation and the last one, Kerala tantra is concerned more about the salvation of the entire society. Hence the focus of Kerala tantra is on temple worship and the rituals related to it.
The god is invoked in the form of a deity and the Pratishta as mentioned before, vibrations are created. According to Kerala tantra, different deities are different vibratory fields of the same god. In the case of the Lokanarkavu temple the deity has all the trappings of a Durga or in its generic term used in the deeper parts of southern India, the Bhagwati, says Paresh.
Tantra comes from the Samkhya or the Sankya tradition which is one of the most prominent and one of the oldest of Indian philosophies. Samkhya which means ‘number,’ specifies the number and nature of the ultimate constituents of the universe and thereby imparts knowledge of reality. The term Samkhya also connotes perfect knowledge. Hence it is a system of perfect knowledge and skill which is manifested in the many dance and art forms associated with the temple as in the case of Lokanarkavu which gives an added importance to arts like Kalaripayattu and the Theyyam.
Here, an analogy could be drawn to Kung Fu, as this eastern martial art is a byproduct of Buddhism. Similarly Kalari Payattu is an offshoot of tantra. In other words tantra is a living tradition and not a matter of a particular belief system or faith. Thacholi Othenan, the brave heart used to frequent the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple complex, seeking the deity’s protection and energy especially before plunging into his duels of which this Malayalee knight fought 64 of them spanning his relatively short life of 32 years. Othenan’s exploits are well known which had given him that immortal legenday status even today.
Apart from Lokambika Devi, the temple complex has two other deities, the oldest being the Vishnu which predates Lokambika Devi. It must be noted here that the Lokanar Devi temple was built adjacent to the Vishnu temple that had pre-existed there about 3 to 4000 years back which was built by brahmins from Karnataka. After the Lokanarkavu Devi was set up, the brahmins from Karnataka moved away giving off all the associated lands and agricultural lands to the Devi.
‘’According to local historians Dr.Vijaya Raghavan and Dr. K C Jayasree the temple was constructed by a migrant mercantile community from the north called the Lohana from where the temple gets its name from as it was once called Lohanarkavu to become Lokanarkavu over the ages. Initially the Nagariks or urban dwellers as they were categorised (‘Nagarakkar’) the Lohanas, performed all the temple rituals.
The management of the temple changed hands after couple of centuries which was given to Nellikode Moosad, a high ranking Brahmin who ran the shrine complex. The aging Moosad in a course of a few years further handed over the mantle to a governor of Zamorin’s kingdom who was stationed in the Kadathanad area where the temple is situated and which was a province of the kingdom.
Even when the shrine was set up by the Lohanas, these builders from the north did not have much choice but to open up the temple complex to all the dominant communities that existed around that time. These eponymous founders of Lokanarkavu who had migrated presumably from the Sindh region are supposed to have brought the Durga devī godess faith and legacy to the place where the temple stands and had slowly adapted to the customs of Nair community of this region. The Lohanas gradually assimilated into matrimonial alliances especially with the local Nairs consequently blurring their original identity. Madhavan Nair who is among the few remaining families looking after the well being of the temple explains in depth about the Lohanas.
According to him the Lohanas who came from the Gujarat region were looking for viable trading enclaves and this led at least 200 families to move southwards and they first ended up in Quilon. These trading communities then moved to Kodungallur where the first Lokanarkavu Devi temple was established. From there they moved northwards to Kollam in Kozhikode and finally settled in Vadakara at Puduppanam.
This area was the most feasible for their trade as it was a natural port where they could continue their trade in spices with mainland China. From China, the Lohanas’ imported gold, gems and silk. According to him, the devī had followed the particular Lohana families right from the north and it was only when the finally settled at the Vadakara area that the Devi was satisfied and her energy got attached to an ordinary tree, of which the log along with the roots is today varnished each year in precious condiments of sandalwood paste and other rare products collected from the forests.
While the youngest of the three deities, the Shiva idol had been placed about 500 years back. An interesting feature in the temple complex is the existence of a platform dedicated to the Muslim community who could who view the temple festivals from that vantage point. This could also be interpreted not only as a sign of religious tolerance but that the temple itself was dedicated to the people’s interests at large.
The communities of that time (and is a reality even today) constituting of the Thiyaas, the Nairs, Muslims and others were quite culturally integrated. Also, continuing an age-old tradition the Muslim communities here still grant a certain amount of money and wealth to the temple, says Madhavan.
The Lokanar Devi temple is part of four temples that is spread out in southern India devoted to Goddess Ambika who is the lineal progenitor of all other goddess and is worshipped as one with many forms and names. She is also identified as Amba, Durga, Bhagavathi, Parvati, Bhavani, Ambe Maa, Sherawaali, Mata Raani, etc. elsewhere in the sub-continent. The four Ambika temples in South India which are collectively known as ‘Naalambika’ temples are: the Balambika in Kanyakumari where the goddess is symbolised as a young girl.
Here the rituals and offerings performed are similar to the temples in Kerala mainly because the Travancore royal family patronised this temple; At Hemambika – at Palakkad where only the hands of the goddess in the temple are being worshipped. It is also called Kaipathi Ambalam which translates to ‘Temple of the hand’. The third is the Lokambika at Vadakara and finally at Mookambika Temple at Kollur, Karnataka. The four temples of Ambika also symbolises the four stages of the growth of the female energy. Progressing from Balambika (child) to Hemambika (girl) to Lokambika (Woman) to finally attaining the spiritual bliss ad silence –the Mookambika, is what the temples could be epitomising.
There are other similar temples in Kerala, prominent among them are : Vazhappully temple, in Thrissur, famous for Guruthi Pooja for Goddess Kali which is offered at night fall. The offerings are a queer mixture of Turmeric, slaked lime etc. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color since the Guruthi symbolises blood. Thiruvarkadu Bhagavaty Temple in Payangadi, Kannur is an important Bhadrakali Temple believed to be a place where Bhadrakali beheaded the demon Daruka. The Shakteya Sampradaya pooja is well known here. It is done by Bhattarakas (Pidararas) who are migrant priests from Kashmir and Bengal. While the Tiruvarkattu Bahagavaty Temple is famous for the removal of black magic, the Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple in Thrissur is one of the oldest temple in India built during the Sangam age.
And some of these temples did exist outside Kerala too. The Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal, Telangana. Bhadrakali (Maha Kali Mata) was the principal deity of the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal that ruled most of Andhra Pradesh during that period. Rituals and animal (and human, by some accounts) sacrifices on a large scale were performed to invoke the blessings of Goddess Bhadrakali before the Kakatiya warriors went off for battle. As per the writings on the temple wall this temple is believed to be constructed by the King Pulakesi II of Chalukya dynasty around 625 A.D.