Anu's Diary

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Yesterday, I wrote about my hotel and arrival at Kovalam. When we were sitting on terrace and taking a cup of tea, my soul was jumping for swimming in waves of sea. After a tea, we all moved to beach, sea waves were very hard due to mansson and lifeguard said that sir, sea is very unsafe so please avoid to swim. But, my soul didn't accepted his order and I said that I am friendly with water and sea and entered in the water. Then my nephew Abhishek came with me in the water. My son UDI and wife Nisha was watching us with waves in the shore. So they started with waves in shore and then I took them inside the water. It was rainy and cloudy evening, but it's all created a different mood of excitement that you can feel in this video.

After this exciting moment, we returned back at room, but there was no electricity due to power failure. We were feeling hungry, so we inquired about some vegetarian restaurant. Left Side of our hotel there is a Buddha Restaurant, I thought that it should be a vegetarian but not 100%. I bought some chapatees,dal fry and fried rice. We took the meal for rest but soul was not happy with this taste. After dinner we went for sleep due to a long journey and swimming of waves.

JOURNEY OF BLESSING

Next day, it was saturday and we were going to pay our homage to lord Hanuman, so I didn't take my breakfast and rest did the same. Our driver mr. Manian came with full of smiles and proceeded to Shuchindrum. It is 85 Kms. from Kovalam on the way of Kanyakumari a day trip tour. Western tourist are not allowed in this temples that's why generally local drivers try to avoid to visit here. But for north indian or Indians, it is a pilgrimage centre. So that's why they take them for rituals.

Shuchindrum is a very old town and has many mythical stories of different time period.

Name of this place derives from Shuchi means cleansing and Indraum means Lord Indra.

Story starts with a beautiful lady Ahiliya, the wife of very famous sage Gautama rishi. When

Indra got the description of her beauty, he was fired with the arrows of love. But he didn't have power to touch that lady because she was a wife of rishi. So he invited lord moon to help him for this exercise. They followed the routine of this couple and then they decided a plan. Indra noticed that Gautama gets up in every morning early to sunrise on the call of a cock and comes late after all rituals. So it is the most suitable time for this event. He convinced to lord moon to take a shape of cock and make a very early call from sunrise and he dressed himself like Gautama. Next morning, moon made a call and Gautama got up for his rituals and went to riverside for his rituals. In that moment Indra entered in the hut of Gautama. Ahiliya complained for his early arrival but Indra convinced her for love. She was in dilemma but for the pleasure of her husband, she didn't interfere. 

When Gautama reached at river bank he found that things are not same and he started to examine the the things. The morning stars was not there and still cricketers were singing. So he meditated and found himself in a trouble and rushed his hermit. When he reached there he found someone is standing there in a shade. He shouted on moon and moon rushed from there with an alert call for Indra. Gautama threw his pot on the back of moon and caught red handed with his wife. Gautama was shouted with red face on his wife and gave her curse to became a stone and cursed Indra's body will covered with thousand female gentials(yoni).

So Indra came in this place and worshipped lord Shiva recovered his body.

But the main temple is known as Sthanumalayan Temple. Sthanumalaya is denoted three different names "Sthanu" means Shiva, "Mal" means Vishnu and "Aya" means Brahma.

Because once all these three gods were stayed here in the hermit of Atri and his wife Anusiya took care of them as kids.

It is also a very interesting story.

Once three goddesses Lakshami, Parvarti and Saraswati were praising their power and that moment Narada reached there. So all of them started teasing to Narada and asked that " O Narada, you travel every part of the world, do you know any lady better than us?". Narada took some time and then said, " Please beg me pardon, there is a lady in earth, who is famous for purity. Her name is Anusiya and she is the wife of great rishi Atri." Three goddesses felt insulted. So they provoked their husbands to examine the purity of Anusiya. The gods came on earth and prayed to Anusiya to feed us with open breast milk. Anusiya smiled and transformed them as a child with the power her penance and fed them. The gods had forgotten the world and playing in the court of Anusiya as kids. Even Narada came there but they didn't identified him. Narada rushed and told the whole story to goddesses. They came and accepted their guilt and said to retransformed their husband in their previous state.

So all three lived here as baby and local priest shows a branch of tree and tells that here the three enjoyed the swing.
It is a big temple complex, which was constructed in 17th century AD by Nambuduris of Tamilnadu.

The temple is made on Dravidian architecture. Close to temple complex, there is a water pond for temple rituals and for pilgrims.

The main Gopuram is 40 m tall and decorated with so many images gods. After gopuram there is a pillared hall, then after there is temple complex. Straight to entrance, there is a Vastu and Navagraha Pithika with Ganesh temple. On the ceiling, you can see navagraha and priest help the pilgrim to worship navagrahas.

In a corner, there is a huge figure of Nandi the bull, which made by lime and sea shells.

There is a musical hall, where you can listen different sounds from different columns.

There is a temple of Krishana, Rama and family, Ayappa swami and Sthanumalyan.

But I came here for very special magical Hanuman or Anjaney(son of Anjani, name of mother). It is 22 feet tall icon of god made in granite rock, standing with namste or Anjali mudra opposite ot Rama temple.

As  I wrote, I revisited in Kerala due to the blessing of this specific god. He blessed us a baby son ANIGODEV and it was timing to get blessing of Hanuman with my son. So we reached there at 11 AM and our driver introduced us with a local guide Vellam. As per rule all men should go with topless and he gave us a very logical reason. When, you are visiting to a temple, go with open heart and receive the rays and power of god in your open body. It will recover all diseases and sins. We bought a garland of betel leaves for offering and moved in different temples, we took darshan of every temple. But my heart and soul was searching that image of Hanuman, who proved his majestic power. I can't explain that period, when I was trying to find out that image in every corner of that temple. After the whole tour of temple, he took us at a small temple of Rama, where my son started Hanuman chalisa(40 verse of Hanuaman). The whole crowd was listening silently and he was reciting with any fear. After that we turned behind and he pointed out on a figure which was far from us and look at that huge figure of Hanuman, it was covered under the earth due to Islamic invasion of Tipu Sultan in 1740 and recovered again in 1930.

Then he told us we will offer our betel garland there and someone who's blessing are fulfilled they offer the BADA MALA ( a garland of snax that makes from dal and rice). Because our blessing was fulfilled that's why we bought another garland of Badas.

We saw that icon is white painted, so me and my wife both said in same sound it was black when we were here. Then guide said that still it is black but some people offers butter to god and that pasted on statue.

So we went there and bought some rose water, butter and malas.

The priest invited us and some started to offer water on the head of Hanuman and some are pasting butter on icon. We were singing Hanuman Chalisa. Then priest offered our garlands on god. We touched the feet of god and blessed again. But this time I didn't dare to examine the power of god and asked him to do as you wish for me and my family, we are in your security. 

Our guide took me to distribute the prasadam of bada mala for the pilgrims. It is an auspicious and rare moment for anyone, someone wish is fulfilled and he is distributing his wishes with others and I am feeling same. All people were taking prasad in many more time and I am giving them with full of joy and happiness. 

We completed our trip of this auspicious temple.

Then we proceeded to Kanya Kumari.