Aluva Sivaratri & Periyar

[Guest guest]

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

Kerala has 44 rivers and out of them 41 flow westwards, but the 'Periyar'

(BIG-RIVER) has pre-eminence. It is the longest and largest river in Kerala,

flowing over 244 km in Kerala alone. Originating from the Western Ghats, its

water is believed to contain medicinal properties. Periyar is indeed identified

as the cradle of Kerala's civilization, the great social leveller, attracting

both Royalty and the poor alike. Both the erstwhile kings of Travancore and

Cochin built palaces on her banks and gravitated to them to escape the harsh

onslaught of summer, a trend mimicked by the then upper class. Periyar also

draws pilgrims, again playing the role of the communal leveller. Sri Sankara,

the apostle of Advaitha philosophy, was born in Kalady, on the banks of the

Periyar and predictably, nurtured an enduring affection for the river. Kalady is

now a pilgrim centre and tourist destination.

Aluva or Alwaye, which is adjacent to Kalady, is the festive venue of Sivarathri

for the Malayali, transcending all communal and class distinctions. The Aluva

Sivarathri is thus also a mela, a dakshin Kumbh Mela, a celebrative assembly to

which people come to see, to experience, to buy everything from brooms to

bangles and pins to pots. Aluva Sivarathri is part of the Malayalam lore,

proverbs, statements. If one does not recognise a friend, he is said to be not

showing even the familiarity of having met at the crowded Aluva Sivarathri

sands. Hindus congregated here to pay obeisance to their forefathers, a custom

which traces its origin to the legend of Sri Rama who is believed to have

performed the last rites of Jatayu, his winged friend, who sacrificed himself in

his attempt to rescue Sita. Even today, every fortnight on new moon day,

thousands of people perform " Bali " in the sacred waters of the Periyar.

Downstream is Chelamattam temple which again attracts a huge horde of people

performing the last rites of the dear departed, including immersion of the bones

and ashes of the dead into the river. At Chelamattam, the great river changes

its direction.

 

Sacred and historic milestones abound in Aluva, like the ashram, erected by Sree

Narayana Guru who was visited here by Mahatma Gandhi. It was also in Aluva that

Gandhi held talks with the authorities of Travancore about the famous Vaikom

Satyagraha. Both Tagore and Vinoba Bhave also visited the Ashram. The first

All-religious meet was held on the Aluva sands in 1924.

 

The celebration of Sivarathri at the Siva temple at Aluva on the sand bank of

River Periyar is attended with great eclat. Here the Lingom (idol) of Siva rises

out of the sand on the bank of the river. The sand bank (Manalpuram) is

extensive and the pilgrims running into several thousands congregate here.

People belonging to all classes, castes and creeds assemble for this festival,

some for worship, some for merchandise and some for sight-essing. There are rows

of sheds built where merchants exhibit every kind of merchandise for sale. There

are shows, dances etc. meant for keeping the pilgrims awake throughout the

night. In addition to the observance of Sivarthri rites, most of the pilgrims

offer Bali (sacrifice) to their ancestors in the morning succeeding the holy

night. It is hard to find a pin-point space of land during such hours. The

atmosphere is fully charged with the " Panchakshari(s) " ..... Siva in his

infinite forms as living & non-living manifests his supreme divinity on the sand

bank.

 

What gains significance in this season are the legends the place is associated

with. One legend goes thus: The Bhuthaganas of Shiva were building a temple at

this Manalppuram, when Vishnu came here, disguised as a cock and crowed to

mislead the Bhuthaganas. The Bhuthaganas, fearing that dawn had approached, left

the work unfinished.

It is a fact that though unfinished in nature, this temple has withstood many a

flood and still stands as an enigma to the architects, regarding its foundation

and structure.

That is the divinity of Lord Siva to whom ALUVA is a very beloved passtime as

his " Kailasam " .

I am fortunate enough to be born in Aluva, near the holy Periyar, also called

" Aluva Puzha " .

 

Hara Hara Mahadeva ShambhO !

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama