Adithyapuram Surya Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

located in Iravimangalam near

Kaduthuruthy Kaduthuruthy is a town in Kottayam District in the state of Kerala, India. Geography Kaduturuthy has an average elevation of . Its name derives from ''Kadal thuruth'', meaning near to the beach as it is believed that several centuries ago, ...

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...

district in the Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. It is noted mainly as the only 'Adithya' (Hindu solar deity) shrine in the state. The temple is situated just from the main highway leading to

Vaikom Vaikom, , is a municipal town and a capital town of Vaikom Taluk, situated in the northwest of Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. The town is also noted for its role in the Indian independence movement for being the venue of Vaikom ...

. It is about 3 km from Kaduthuruthy, 17 km from

Ettumanoor Ettumanoor, sometimes spelled Ettumanur, is a major town and municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam city, 50 kilometers south of Cochin, and 70 kilometers south of Cochin Internation ...

and 16 km from Vaikom.

Legend

Legend has it that the idol of Surya Deva was consecrated during the ''

Treta Yuga ''Treta Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the second and second best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'' and followed by '' Dvapara Yuga''. ''Treta Yuga'' lasts for 1,296,000 years (3,600 divine years ...

''. But there are no much factual evidences behind the origin of the temple. Once a

Nambudiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...

who belonged to the 'Kapikkadu Marangattu Mana' performed a deep meditation or '

Tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In some ...

' to please the Sun God 'Adithya'. Pleased by the devotion, Adithya appeared before him and instructed him to consecrate an idol in the place. From that time onwards, regular pujas and rituals were started. At present, descendants of that Nambudiri holds the tantric rights of the temple.

Temple

The 'Sreekovil' or the

sanctum sanctorum The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of th ...

of the temple is in a circular shape. The idol faces west with a meditative posture. It is made of a special kind of stone that has the capability to absorbe oil. 'Abhishekam' or the holy bathing of idol is performed in morning followed by the abhishekam of water. It is really a wonder that there will be no presence of oil after sprinkling water in the idol. The upper right hand holds the '

Chakra Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...

' (rotating disk) and the upper left hand holds the '

Shankha A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure. In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god V ...

' (conch) and the lower right and left hands are in a 'tapo mudra' posture. An interesting fact is that there are no 'Navagraha' pratishtas here.

Poojas

Adithyapooja (for curing eye and skin related diseases), Udayasthamana pooja, Enna (oil) Abhishekam,

Bhagavathi Bhagavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavatī), is a Hindu epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for female deities in Hinduism. It is primarily used to address one of the Tridevi: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati. ...

pooja and Navagraha (9 planet deities) pooja are the most important

poojas Pooja Gauthami Umashankar, mononymously known as Pooja, is an Indian-Sri Lankan actress, who has primarily appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sinhala and Malayalam language films. Early and personal life Pooja's mother, Sandhy ...

in the temple.

Offerings

'Ada Nivedyam' and 'Raktha Chandana samarppanam' are the main offerings often done to cure diseases.

Festivals

The last Sundays of Malayalam months 'Vrishchikam' (October and November) and 'Medam' (May and June) are considered to be the most propitious days.

Rituals

Special rituals such as 'Abhishekam' and ' Rakthachandana Kaavadi' are performed on the festive occasions. There is also a custom that one member from the Marangattu Illam must participate in the Kaavadi.

Deities

Apart from Surya Deva, Devi (facing east),

Sastha Shasta ( IAST Śāstā) is a Hindu deity of Dravidian origin, usually associated with Shiva and Vishnu. In Hindu mythology, Shasta is considered to be another name of Ayyappan, described as the offspring of Shiva and Mohini. His principal ...

and Yakshi are the sub deities.

References

{{Sun temples Hindu temples in Kottayam district Surya temples Vaikom