Mythological Stories from Northern Kerala: Part 2

The Torch of Kolathiri Nadu upheld by
the History of Udayavarma.

Ravi Varma is the author of the Sanskrit volume of the history on UdayaVarma, written in the year 1501. The documentary evidence received from the palace of Chirakkal dates the rule of Udaya Varma over Kolathiri region from AD 1492 to 1506. The great Poet Ulloor in his historical literature corroborates this subject matter. It is worth mentioning that the antecedents of Kolathiris are recorded distinctly in the history on Udaya Varma. The genesis of Kolathiri kingdom is narrated as follows in the historical record of Udaya Varma.

Once the teenage girls of Soma dynasty were halting at Gokarna for offering prayers to lord Siva. At the same time Cheran Perumal also happened to reach there for having lord’s vision (Darshan). Perumal gets attracted to the three young girls. It ended in love affair and he ended up marrying all the three and returned to his kingdom.

Ambalika was the beautiful daughter born to the second wife. Ravi Varma married Ambalika. After Perumal’s death, Ambalika took the reigns of the kingdom in her hands. She took care of the sovereign just like a young man of valor and capacity. In the year AD 724, the couple was blessed with a son, who was named Kerala Varma. Ravi Varma, the author of this history has recorded, it is that Kerala Varma who established the Kolathiri reign. In AD 746 the daughter in law of Kerala Varma, gave birth to a boy who came to be known as Udaya Varma. It was Udaya Varma who ruled the kingdom after Kerala Varma.

Those days the Nambooris from a place called Thaliparamba looked after the matters connected with the temple. Due to some reason, the king Udaya Varma had a misunderstanding with them. That day onwards the Nambooris from the village called Perinjalloor were deprived higher positions in temple activities. The king himself went to Gokarna and brought some Tulu speaking priests. After bringing forth-necessary changes in their customs they were appointed as Malayali Brahmins (Priests) during AD 793.

As an attempt to initiate new methods, Udaya Varma is believed to have built a temple for Sri Krishna. The 270 Tulu Brahmin families who were brought from Gokarna by Udaya Varma reached Kolathu Nadu on an auspicious morning. Udaya Varma built a magnificent temple at the place where they offered their first morning prayers, which is famous as Udayapuram Temple, even today.

From the beginning the royal families of Thiruvithamkoor and Kolathu Nadu always maintained cordial relationship. When ever there were no issues in the royal family of Thiruvithamkoor, records point out that children were adopted from the family of Kolathu Nadu. Over the period the reign of Kolathu Nadu came to the family of Chirakkal lineage. The Chirakkal palace that is seen today was built in the year A. D. 858. In the old palace, a room called as ‘Kettilakam’ was dedicated to Gods. Because of the sanctity adorned by the place, even now, oil lamps are lit at dusk regularly. Mythologically it is believed that inside this temple precincts Vilvamangalam Swami made an offering (Homam) with 1001 coconuts for the deity Ganapathi.

When marriages are fixed for young girls, the practice of visiting the old temple, the day before the marriage for blessings from the lord still continues. May be because of all these faiths the following famous proverb came into existence: "Once you pray at Chirakkal, no need to pray anywhere else!"

English translation by
Lakshmy. N

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