introduction to temples of kerala
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8/18/2019 Introduction to Temples of Kerala
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Introduction to Temples of
Kerala
EVOLUTION OF RELIGION, GODS, SHRINES AND TEMPLES
Sculpture on the Namaskaara Mandapam at Thrikkodithanam Temple
A Typical Temple : GENERAL FORM & LAYOUT
His!"y: EARLIEST SHRINES #$e%!"e ''
$()
EARLY *AIN TEMPLES #c+'' $(
! '' AD)
EARLY $UDDHIST TEMPLES#c+-'' $( ! .'' AD)
REVIVAL OF HINDUISM & THE
/NE0/ $RAHMINI(AL TEMPLES
#c+.'' AD !12a"3s)
(!mp!1e1s !% a Temple: THE PANCHA-PRAKARA LAYOUT
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S(HEME
A Typical Temple:
GENERAL FORM & LAYOUT
Traditional Hindu temples in Kerala are simple structures made of wood, brick andlaterite stone. Often, from afar, the only sign that marks the presence of old
temples is a tall, ceremonial flag-mast. The main sanctum hosting the deities
-the Sreekovil - is inariably a single storied building of a circular or s!uare plan.
Inside the temples, use of oil lamps in contrast to electrical lights lends an air ofserenity and mysticism. "alls of the Sreekoil are rarely left bare, and are instead,
coered with intricate, beautiful mural paintings or wood carings.
The building base is usually of granite and the walls are of laterite stone masonry
coered with lime plaster. The inner framework is of wood. This timberframework supports a conical or pyramidal roof coered with copper tiles. These
sloping-roof buildings cope ery well with the torrential rains that are a hallmark
of Kerala#s climate.
$olution of temples in Kerala is closely linked to her social and cultural history.
His!"y:
THE EARLIEST TEMPLES & SHRINES
The earliest people to make Kerala their home were the %raidians. &ultural
affinities ' inheritance through women, snake cults( and anthropological eidence
point to the )editerranean origins '*ubia, +pper $gypt( of her %raidian people.
s the early settlers cleared thickly forested lands for farms and settlements, theyset aside small areas of the original forest completely untouched. These became
the earliest known sites of worship - the Kaavus - %raidian Sacred roes. In
these groes, no flower was eer plucked, no tree felled and, most importantly, nosnakes disturbed or harmed. This tradition continues today in most *air
households with the Kaau being considered home to all Naagas 'snakegods( andholy spirits.
The first organised religions to reach Kerala came with the ains and theeangeli/ing 0uddhist missions of $mperor shoka in 122 - 322 0&. s in other
parts of the country, these missionaries employed the then local language to spread
their religion.
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*AIN TEMPLES #ci"ca '' $( ! '' AD)
ainism was introduced to the South in 122 0& by $mperor &handragupta )aurya'134-356 0&( and a ain saint - 0hadrabahu. $idence of the presence of ains in
Kerala comes from the indisputable fact that many Hindu temples in Kerala were
originally ain Shrines.
7or e8ample, the presiding deity of Kudalmanikkam Temple near Irin9alakuda'Thrissur( is :ama;s younger brother 0harata. Originally it was $4a"aes42a"a, a
%igambara ain saint. t Kallil, near <erumbaur, we can still see the images of
<araswanta, )ahaira and <admaati= een though it is considered a 0hagaatitemple today. Similarly, seeral places in "ayanad hae ain temples indicating
that *orth )alabar was once a flourishing center of ainism.
ccording to the historian, "illiam >ogan, architecture of later Hindu temples in
Kerala was influenced by the architecture of ain temples.
$UDDHIST TEMPLES #c+-'' $( ! .'' AD)
0uddhism was introduced in Kerala by the missions sent out by $mperor shoka
from 0esnagar '?idisha, )adhya <radesh(. %uring this period, the $mperor;s son)ahindra headed a 0uddhist mission to Sri >anka. 7or more than 622 years,
0uddhism flourished in Kerala. The <aliyam &opper plate of the y King,
?araguna '@@A-53A%( shows that at least in South Kerala, 0uddhists continuedto en9oy royal patronage een until 4222 %.
)any Hindu temples were once 0uddhist shrines, including ?adakkunathan
temple of Thrissur, Kurumba 0hagawathi temple of Kannur and the %urga temple
at <aruaserri near Thrissur. large number of 0uddhist images hae beendiscoered in the coastal districts of llapu/ha and Kollam= the most important of
these is the famous 5a"6ma3i 56a1 near mbalapu/ha.
:eial of Hinduism by 0rahmin scholars in @22-4222 % gradually wiped out
0uddhism from Kerala. :oyal patronage by the ?aisnaite Kulashekara dynastyhastened this process. )any Keralites, like the $/haas 'from $/ham, Tamil term
for Sri >anka(, who were most likely 0uddhists once, got absorbed in the
mainstream Hindu fold.
Howeer the legacy of nearly a 4222 years was not so easily
forsaken. Pallikudam or Ezhuthupally - the schools opened by 0uddhists near their
monasteries - continued to impart education ' Pally is the 0uddhist term for
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school(. 0uddha continued to be worshipped as Sastha or yyappa. <opularinocation of these deities, een today, hark back to 0uddhist times - Buddham
Sharanam became Swami Sharanam!
"hile replacing old 0uddhist shrines with new Hindu temples, the 0rahmins,respecting sentiments of the neo-conerts, relocated the older gods nearby, butaway from the sanctum and outside the Pradikshina-patham or circumambulatory
pathway.
REVIVAL OF HINDUISM & THE NE0 $RAHMINI(AL
TEMPLES #c+.'' AD O12a"3s)
?edic 0rahmins arried in Kerala only in 622-@22 %, along the west coast 'Tulu-
nadu(.
%uring the time of )aurya Sharman, a Kadamba King, large colonies of 0rahmins
from *orth India were inited to settle in Tulu and Kerala. In 653 %, King+daya ?arman of )ooshika dynasty settled 316 0rahmin families in Kerala. One
tradition has it that si8 outstanding 0rahmins came with these immigrants,
defeated 0uddhist leaders in public debates and established the intellectualsupremacy of Hinduism. >ater, scholars like uru <rabhakara and Shankaracharya
'6@@-@32 %( reinforced this supremacy. This led to the promotion of
?aishnaism by Kulashekara Kings of the Second &hera $mpire.
:oyal patronage to 0rahmins brought about radical changes in the social, politicaland cultural landscape of Kerala. society which was largely egalitarian was
reamped by the Varna caste system. $thnic groups which e8isted much earlier,
like the *airs, $/haas and the hill tribes were compartmentalised to fit this new
social order.
irtual monopoly oer education and erudition made it easier for the 0rahmins
to suppress and assimilate old deities like Shasta '0uddha( and folk heroes like
)aeli 'King )ahabali( and yyappa 'King yyan digal( into the Hindu pantheon. Sanskrit became more popular. 0ut unlike in *orth India, the 0rahmins
in Kerala adopted the ant ri form of temple ritual-worship.
(!mp!1e1s !% a Temple :
THE PANCHA-PRAKARA LAYOUT S(HEME
The 0hakti )oement and resurgence of Hinduism also marked the reial oftemple construction. 7ully realising the need to create places of worship that
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would attract deotees, the Panha-Prakara scheme became the standard fortemple architecture. s the term indicates, the fie '<ancha( enclosures '<rakaras(
around the Sanctum wereB
P"N#$"-P%"K""%" >CO+TB TH$ 7I?$ $*&>OS+:$S
7+ A5ATTHE8$ALIVATTAM 8 T4e i11e"m!s e1cl!s6"e, 24ic4
i1cl63es
• Sreekovil B central building housing the principal deities
• "nthar-mandalaB Space outside the Sreekoil occupied by protectie
deities in the form of small stone platforms - Bali-Kall
• Namaskaara-mandapaB raised platform for prostration;s
-+ NAALAM$ALAM 9 (HUTTAM$ALAM 8 A"ea a"!613 4e
sa1c6m
• Valia-am&alamB &oered spaces around the Sreekoil for rituals and
prayers
• hittapalliB small temple kitchen
• Mulayara B Storage space for grains, fruits, utensils, firewood
+ MADHYA HAARA 9 VILA55U8MATTAM 8 T4e Gala;y !%
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Lamps
<+ PURATTHE8$ALIVATTAM 9 SIVELIPPURA 8 O6e" e1cl!s6"e
a13 ci"6ma=6la!"y pa42ay
• "gra-mandapa B <athway leading to the *aalambalam
• Valiya-&alikall B >arge decorated stone platform for sacrificial offerings
• Bali-peetha B <ositions for protectie deities outside the temple
• Kshetra-paalaB <ositions for temple guardians
• 'wa(a-stham&aB The ceremonial flag-mast and platform
• Kovil o) minor deitiesB Sub-shrines within the temple compound
• Koothama&alam B $nclosure for temple musicians
+ MARYAADA 9 PURAM MATHIL 8 T4e !6e" =!613a"y 2all
• *opuraB formal high building marking the main gateways
• +ottu-puraB >unch-hall
• Puram-mathil B Outer-wall
<recise dimensions of each of the aboe components are laid out in antraSamuhaya, a treatise on temple architecture compiled and written in c.4122 %.