Irumkulangara Durga Bhagavathi Temple (
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
: ഇരുംകുളങ്ങര ദുര്ഗ്ഗാദേവി ക്ഷേത്രം) is a Hindu temple in
Thottam, Manacaud
Thottam, Manacaud is a small region near by Manacaud, which is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It located between Kamaleswaram and Manacaud. Irumkulangara Durga Devi Temple is a famous Hindu temple in Thottam, Manac ...
,
Manacaud
Manacaud is a locality in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. This place is situated between Kamaleswaram and Attakulangara on East Fort - Kovalam - Vizhinjam Road. The United Arab Emirates embassy is also situated in Manacaud.
L ...
P.O,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
,
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 ...
, India. It is about 1.8 kilometres to the southwest of
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram city.
Geography
It is located at.
[http://wikimapia.org/408886/Erumkulangara-temple-compound ]
History
The abode of Sree Irumkulangara Durga Bhagavathi is one of the most ancient temples in Kerala. The temple is located on the bank of two ponds from where it got its name: "irum" means two and "kulam" means pond.
It is believed that the temple has a relationship with the famous Sree
Padmanabha Swamy Temple
The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The City ...
, one of the famous temples in Thiruvananthapuram. In ancient times, priests from Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple are believed to arrive at Irumkulangara by country boats for performing pooja and rituals.
Events and architecture
Unlike other Durga devi temples, rituals like Thottampaattu and Ottam are restricted here. Red coloured flowers, except thetti, are banned. Other flowers such as tulsi, jasmine, lotus, Nandyarvattom, etc. are used.
A kavu (small forest patch) which houses the serpent Gods is common in Travancore. The pond in front of the temple gives a beautiful reflection of it. The Temple Thanthri Brahmasree Tharananalloor Parameshwaran Namboodiripad (same as Sree Padmanabhaswamy and Koodalmanikyam temples) and now the temple is under the control of Sree Irumkulangara Durga Devi Temple Trust.
It was renovated with a new and which is an excellent example of Kerala Vasthu Vidya and temple architecture in the new age. The renovation was carried out under the guidance of Vastu Shasthra expert Kanippayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad; the temple architect was Manacaud
S Narayanamoorthy and it was inaugurated by Sree
Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma
Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma (22 March 1922 – 16 December 2013) was the titular Maharaja of Travancore. He was the younger brother of the last ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Travancore, Maharajah Chithira Thiru ...
Maharaja of Travancore on 25 December 2009.
Deities and sub-deities
The Goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
is the main deity in this temple. One important aspect of the temple is that the deity appears as Durgabhagavathi, an avatar of AdiParasakthi. Karthika is considered as the star of the deity.
There are many (sub-deities) adjacent to the temple, and it has remaded, according to the Deva Prashnam by expert astrologers recently.
The main upadevathas on the premises are
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Lord Ganesh
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
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Nagaraja
Nagaraja ( sa, नागराज ', ) is a title used to refer to the nagas, the serpent-like figures that appear in Indian religions. It refers to the kings of the various races of the nāga, the divine or semi-divine, half-human, half-serpen ...
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Brahm Rakshas
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Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhairava ...
Moorthy
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Madan Thampuran
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Navagraha
Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...
We can see a kavu (grove) which houses the serpent gods and is common in Travancore. The temple kavu was awarded by Kerala Government Department of Forest and Wildlife as one of the best maintained.
In 2011,the temple created a Nakshtravanam (trees relating to birth stars) on the premises.
Darshan
* Morning - 5:00 to 10.00
* Evening - 5.00 to 8.00
Festivals
The Painkuni Mahothsavam, the major festival of the temple, is mostly held in the month of March, lasts for 10 days and ends with Pongala and Ezhunnallathu. In 2023, Painkuni Mahothsavam was from 17 -26 March. The main Ulsavam was on 26 March 2023.
The other festivals in this temple are:
* Mandala Vratham — Festival in connection with the annual Utsavam of Sabarimala.
* Vinayaka Chathurthi — Pooja to the Lord Ganapathy.
* Pooja Vaypu — Identical to Dussera festival (Saraswathy Pooja and Vidyarambham).
* Karthika — Kazhchakula Samarpanam, Navakabhishekam, Karthika Pongala, Annadhanam (all months).
* Ayilya Pooja — Milk, flowers etc. offered to serpent god and special rites. Monthly Pooja in Ayilyam day except in the months of Mithunam and Karkidakom.
* Ayilyolsavam — Nagaroottu and Sarpabali in the month of Thulam by Pambumekkattumana Karanavar Brhamasri P S Sreedharan Namboodiripad.
* Ramayana Parayanam and BhagavathiSeva — All days of Karkidakom (evening).
* Vavu Bali — In the month of Karkidakom.
Education aid
On all Vidyarambham day evening, Irumkulangara Durga Bhagavathi Temple and its devotees give cash awards to SSLC and Plus Two economically backward students living around the temple based on merit. For this, the temple has an education fund and most of the devotees give cash prizes in memory of their relatives.
Transportation
Road
KSRTC Central Bus station is near the
Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station
Thiruvananthapuram Central, formerly Trivandrum Central (also known as Thampanoor railway station) (station code: TVC), is a major railway station which serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, In ...
. There are so many bus services available for travel to other cities. Have to get down at either
manacaud
Manacaud is a locality in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. This place is situated between Kamaleswaram and Attakulangara on East Fort - Kovalam - Vizhinjam Road. The United Arab Emirates embassy is also situated in Manacaud.
L ...
or
kamaleswaram. Privately owned and KSRTC buses plying in the Kovalam route from East Fort pass through Manacaud and Kamaleswaram.
Rail
The nearest railway station is at
Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station
Thiruvananthapuram Central, formerly Trivandrum Central (also known as Thampanoor railway station) (station code: TVC), is a major railway station which serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, In ...
railway station about 3.5 km from the temple.
Air
Trivandrum International Airport
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...
, about 3 km away from temple.
See also
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Parvathi
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...
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Thottam, Manacaud
Thottam, Manacaud is a small region near by Manacaud, which is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, India. It located between Kamaleswaram and Manacaud. Irumkulangara Durga Devi Temple is a famous Hindu temple in Thottam, Manac ...
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Kamaleswaram Mahadeva Temple
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List of Hindu temples in Kerala
This is a list of famous Hindu temples in Kerala ordered by district.
Alappuzha
Ernakulam
Idukki
Kannur
Kasaragod
Kollam
Kottayam
Kozhikkode
Malappuram
Palakkad
Pathanamthitta
Thiruvananthapuram
...
*
Temples of Kerala
This is a list of famous Hindu temples in Kerala ordered by district.
Alappuzha
Ernakulam
Idukki
Kannur
Kasaragod
Kollam
Kottayam
Kozhikkode
Malappuram
Palakkad
Pathanamthitta
Thiruvananthapuram
...
References
External links
About Irum Kulanagara Durga Devi TempleIrumkulangara Durga Devi Temple*
Irumkulangara Temple
{{Hindu temples in Kerala
Hindu temples in Thiruvananthapuram district
Durga temples
Devi temples in Kerala