Mullackal chirappu
Mullackal Sri Rajarajeswari
temple is main temple at Alappuzha around which the town is built. The main
diety of this temple is the Mullackal Devi. The main Mullackal chirappu is on
the Malayalam month of vrishchikam (November-December). The chirappu is a 41 day festival out of
which last 12 days are the most important. Festivities take place here in all
the evenings all through this month. Kalabham Charth (application of perfumed
sandalwood powder) on the idol occurs at the temple during these days. An
individual or an organisation usually sponsors each day of the chirappu.
The mullackal streets are usually filled with a
stream of people during the chirappu evenings. Many small stalls pop up along
the sides of the street selling toys, bangles etc.
Fireworks light up the
town’s skies at night. Crowds gather at the town center to see the spectacular
fireworks display. On some nights, the fireworks are followed by many cultural
programmes like music, dance etc. Many renowned Malayalam singers have sung
here during this time.The Mullakkal temple is
dedicated to the Goddess Rajarajeswari. The nine day Navratri festival celebrated is of
special significance.
This temple is estimated to be 500 years old
and there are different stories regarding its origin. One says that the idol
consecrated here was brought by the banished soldiers of the Thekkumkur king.
They were supposed to have brought this idol and kept it in a jasmine Garden.
The idol got permanently fixed at that spot and later a temple was constructed
by the king Devanarayana of Chembagasery. Another story says that once that
great king went to the Kodungallore Bhagawathy temple for worship and wanted to have the
Bhagawathy in his town. That night, the goddess appeared in his dreams and told
him that she would accompany him to his kingdom. When he reached Alappuzha, the
king kept his Umbrella in the jasmine garden before taking rest. The umbrella
got fixed there. Later, the astrologers who were brought in, found that the
Goddess wished to stay there and hence the king built a temple for her at that
spot. Another story tells about how during the invasion of Kerala by Tippu
Sultan, some Namboodiri Brahmins who ran away from Malabar along with the idol
of Annapurneswari they were worshiping decided to consecrate the idol at this
spot.
The idol worshipped prior to 1961 in this temple
was indeed that of Annapurneswari with a ladle in one hand and a pot in the
other. Since the temple was built in a jasmine garden, she was known also as
Mullakkal Bhagawthy. She was consecrated in the standing pose facing west.
In 1961 when they were consecrating the
golden flag staff for the Goddess, a mentally unstable person got inside the
sanctum sanctorum and embraced the idol. Subsequently it was found that cracks
had developed on the idol. A deva prasnam
(getting divine opinion through astrology)
which was conducted revealed that the Goddess wanted a new idol to be made and
installed there. Therefore on 16th July 1962 a four feet tall Rajarajeswari
idol was consecrated in the same place replacing the damaged one. Apart from
the main Goddess there are also small temples for Hanuman,
Subramanya and Nagas (serpents) in the temple. An idol of Lord Krishna and Lord Ayyappa has
also been consecrated.
