Page 37 - history_Classical

VELLAYANI TEMPLE

VELLAYANI DEVI TEMPLE IS POSITIONED ON THE EASTERN BANKS OF VELLAYANI LAKE IN
VELLAYANI, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF KERALA, INDIA. THE TEMPLE IS
ADMINISTERED BY THE TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD. VELLAYANI DEVI TEMPLE IS SAID TO
BE BUILD IN THE 14TH CENTURY AD. THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF THIS TEMPLE IS ITS
PICTURESQUE VIEW, SINCE IT IS SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF VELLAYANI LAKE. THE TEMPLE IS
DEDICATED TO GODDESS BHADRAKALI, THE MOST FEROCIOUS GODDESS OF ALL. OTHER SUB
DEITIES OF VELLYANI DEVI TEMPLE INCLUDE LORD GANAPATHY, LORD SIVA AND THE
NAGARAJA. THERE IS A SEPARATE SHRINE FOR MADAN THAMPURAN IN THE VELLAYANI DEVI
TEMPLE.

The history says that Kelan Kulashekhara,

a blacksmith, saw a frog with divine
powers near the lake. He caught the frog
and brought it to the Nair cheiftains of
the locality. Kulashekhara, then,
constructed the Thiru mudi (idol) in which
the divine spirit is stored. From then on,
the right to perform the rituals is held by
the Nair families. The priest of the temple
also belongs to the blacksmith family.

ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY SAYS THAT DARIKA,
A DEMON WHO RECEIVED A BOON FROM LORD
BRAHMA WENT ON TO CONQUER THE WORLD BY
DEFEATING THE KING OF GODS, INDRA, WITH HIS
IMMENSE POWER. HIS INTOLERABLE ATROCITIES
MADE THE DIVINE SAGE NARADA TO REQUEST
LORD SHIVA TO DESTROY DARIKA. LORD SHIVA
OPENED THE THIRD EYE AND CREATED THE
FEROCIOUS KALI TO DESTROY DARIKA WHO HAD
RECEIVED A BOON THAT HE CAN’T BE KILLED BY
ANY HUMAN LIVING IN ANY OF THE FOURTEEN