Vadakkupurathupattu at vaikom temple

Vadakkupurathupattu & Kodiarchana

  VadakkupurathuPattu is a special  rare and ritual function  held at Vaikom temple   once in  every 12 years , The twelve day festival is for the blessings of goddess Bhadra Kali.  (Goddess  Durgaa)The turn comes this year and it will be conducted from the  13 th April  to  24 th of April 2013 .  The origin of this rare and ritual festival is said to be in the period of Raja Vadakkum Core, During that period, a severe epidemic struck Vaikom and many died.  the epidemic was spreading day by day, at last the Raja decided to seek the will of the God through ‘Deva Prasnam’ as indicated in the prasnam  the Raja and the representatives of the devotees observed 41 days Bhajan (ceremony of worship )at ‘Sree Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple at Kodungalloor”. On 41st day ,”Devi” in a divine vision told the Raja, to conduct special worship  in the Northern yard of the vaikom Temple from the next day of Meena Barani .

          The twelve days Kalam ezhuthu (portraying figure of deities in powders of various colours  as a part of ‘’tantric ‘rituals)   and pattu are the main function which is performed by constructing a special dais in the northern yard of the temple. Here various posters of lord Bhadrakali.  (Goddess  Durgaa) is portrayed in different forms ie, in  the Ist four days goddess would portrayed  as having eight arms, then with 16 arms, 32 arms and in the final day with 64 arms and weapons as if sitting on her vahanam Vethalam which is said  to be the largest one portrayed in  India.

As preliminary function called  Kalnattu (ritualistic putting up of sacred post) takes 41 days prior to the beginning of the pattu. The trunk of a jack froot three with 20 feet length and 30-35 inch size, which is felled without  touching the ground, will be taken in a procession to the northern  yard of the temple  where it is erected.  Poojas and nivedhyams would be conducted at the foot of the post till the  function is over, in the belief that there will be the presence of goddess kodungalloor Bhagavathi (Goddess  Durgaa) at the site.

            On the 41st day the kalamezhuthu will be started, each day, after the deeparadhana’ in the evening the pattu will be performed by singing the traditional devotional songs of goddess Bhadrakali.  The Kalam will be wiped out from the bottom to top after the pattu.  the entire function of Vadakkupurathu Pattu will be concluded with the “Valiaguruthy’ on the final day.

Kodi Archana

      This is the Fourth  time the Kodi Archana is going to be conducted at Vaikom Maha Deva Temple.  The 27 days Kodi archana were conducted in 1977, 1989 And 2001 along with Vadakkupurathu pattu. By constructing a special dais near Vyaghrapadalayam , Thanthrics under the guidance of " Brahmasree Bhadrakali Mattapalli Narayanan Namboodiri and Brahmasree Mekattumana Narayanan Namboodiri ", will perform the 27 days Kodi archana  ,  will start from 28 th March 2013  and will conclude with    Vadakkupurathu pattu ie on 24/4/2013