The wonder of Thrichambaram temple!

      

     If we go through the history and the different rituals of various temples in our country, we will come across many interesting informations. Thrichambaram Temple is situated 20 km from Kannur dist of Kerala state. It is near Taliparamba town, famous for its spices trade. The temple is believed to have got the name from Thiru Shambara or the holy shambara in reverence to Maharishi Shambara. Sri Perumthrikovilappan at Sree Rajarajeswara Temple is an older temple situated near Thrichambaram temple. It is said that to mellow the ferociousness of the Sree Rajarajeswara deity that Thrichambaram deity was consecrated there by Parasurama Himself.  Thrichambaram is a famous Sri Krishna temple. The deity is supposed to be of the Lord after Kamsa vadha.
           According to the legends Lord Sri Krishna and Balarama though were born in Devaki's womb were taken away to Gokul. Lord Krishna had promised Devaki and Vasudeva that one day He along with His brother Balaram in the divine form bedecked with all jewels, adorning peacock feathers and peethambara, would come to show the divine spectacle of their childhood Leela’s in the dense sambara forest. Sage Sambara remembered the Lord's promise made in the dwapara yuga. He was patiently waiting to see the divine appearance. True to His words Bhagavan appeared with Balarama and performed the holy dance which was witnessed by all the devas, gandharvas etc, along with Vasudeva, Devaki, Nandagopa and Yasoda from the heavens. 
      Lord Parasurama who was watching this fell at the feet of Sri Krishna and prayed Him to make a visit to the forest every year. Bhagavan gave him the promise and Parasurama constructed a temple in the place and consecrated the deity of Balakrishna. Lord Narada gave Parasurama two deities of Balarama and Krishna for the holy rituals of the festival. He instructed that the deities should be carried on the heads of two brahmins and the holy dance should be performed by them. The idols should be kept near the main deity inside the temple.
         One of the important offerings in this temple is 'aayirappam' meaning thousand appams.  Incidentally appam is Bhagavan's most favourite dish.  In Srimad Bhagavatham we come across the story of 'viprapathnis' (wives of the Brahmins) who rush to meet Krishna and Balarama with their gopa friends, carrying varieties of dishes to offer them. Here in Thrichambaram temple the ritual followed reminds us of this incident. 

      Usually the offerings for the deity will be made in the temple kitchen by the pujari brahmins only. But here in Thrichambaram the main offering of 'aayirappam' is prepared by the antharjanams (lady nampoothiris) of the village only. Also it is not prepared in the 'thidappalli' - temple kitchen, but in the agrasala adjacent to it. There is a rule that an antharjanam should only enter the temple  carrying the appam. The least number of appam one should carry is a minimum of three. If at all they are not able to take appam in their hand then they should take the rice for making it. The ritual is called 'appam thozhal'.  It is a routine of the antharjanams of Perinchallur village to do appam thozhal every month.

             Once the village girls get married they would go out anywhere only after doing their appam thozhal in Thrichambaram temple.  Likewise during the fifth month of pregnancy also the they should offer appam thozhal in the temple which will be followed by another appam thozhal during the annaprasanam or choroonu of the baby. The appams should be offered in the order of three, six, twelve, twenty four, fifty one, hundred and one or thousand. Offer can be made according to one's capacity. The most important offering is aayirappam. It is of course an expensive offering.  The ingredients needed are as follows:

Raw rice - 15 kgs, Jaggery - 30 kgs, ripe bananas (nenthrappazham) - 45 kgs, coconut - 25, jeera - 1/2 kg, pure cow's ghee - 6 ltrs. 

The ingredients would be brought to the agrasala on the previous day itself. It is the duty of 'varasyars'  (ambalavasis) to organise the firewood needed for cooking. The antharjanams will be present in the agrasala on the previous day itself. They get up by 2-30am, take bath, light a lamp (nilavilakku), prostrate towards east and west and then soak the rice. The varasyars of the temple will powder the rice in the agrasala itself in stone mortars. 

         Great care is taken while making the appams. The ripe bananas are steamed first. Rice will be powdered. Syrup is made with jaggery, coconut is cut into small pieces and all the ingredients are mixed well to make the batter. Large appakkaras (appam mould) would be kept over the fire with ghee. When the ghee gets heated, the batter would be poured with hands into the moulds and appams would be pricked out of the ghee with small sticks. The appams would be collected in a chembu - wide vessel with large rings on two sides for easy carrying. The counting is also done in a special way. One appam is kept in the hand while counting. Last twelve appams are strewn in a stick and kept across the chembu.

      By this time sun would have risen and the appams would be taken for offering during the puja.The ladies only carry the chempu holding it with a long wooden rod. The varasyar will go with a lighted lamp in front. The chempu would be kept on the mandapam in front of the deity. All the appams except those strewn on the stick would be taken inside. The antharjanams would themselves offer the appam in the stick from the mandapam. After offering 500 appams  would come out from inside. 
       If any child asks for the appam before offering it should be given immediately. That is the rule here. Once upon a time an antharjanam was making appam in the agrasala. A little boy approached her with extended hand for appam. Not only did the irritated lady refuse to give but burnt his hand with the hot dripping ghee. The kid ran away crying in utter pain. Nobody saw the boy again. But the melshanthi (poojari) saw burnt marks on the deity's hand. For some reason the lady also could not offer her appam. Ultimately they knew that it was the Lord Himself who came as a boy. 
      The taste of Thrichambaram appam is unique and matchless. The annual festival starts from 22nd day of kumbha masa (march 6th) with kotiyetram or flag hoisting and ends by 6th of meena masa (march 20th) with koodipiriyal. On the first day of festival there will be appam thozhal. But after that the antharjanams cannot enter the temple during the festival. The day after the festival is over they again come for appam thozhal. Nobody can offer appam without the presence of the antharjanams of the village. If anybody wishes to do the offering it should be done through them only. 
        Great is our country with its diversities in worship! Jay Bharath Matha! 
                                 (source - Bhakthapriya magazine and internet)