Sunday 9 December 2012

Og Mandino Quotes

 Was in need of some motivation today and was inspired by the following quotes by Og Mandino.

Augustine Og Mandino was an American author. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

Quotes:


I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.

All the gold in the world cannot buy a dying man one more breath.So what does that make today worth?

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they will not be here tomorrow. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

Do not listen to those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious


Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence


Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Ameda temple

Ameda temple

The Ameda temple is located on the Thripunithura-Vaikom route (10km from Thripunithura) on the shores of Vembanad lake in Nadakkavu.

The main deity in the temple is  Sapthamathrukkal (Veerabhadran, Ganapathy, Brahmani, Maheshwari, Kowmari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamundi) Temples dedicated to Nagaraja and Nagayakshi are in the north-west and North east.There is a  temple dedicated to Maha Vishnu towards the North.

Story behind the temple

Parasurama on his travel once reached the place where the temple is presently situated. He stepped into the Vembanad lake  for Sandhyavandana during sunset .Then he saw a bright light at a distance and he wanted to know the source of light and he found out that it was  light is 'Sapthamathrukkal' who were travelling through the lake on the top of the tortoise.

The tortoise had become unable to travel as the water had paved way for Lord Parasurama . The place where the tortoise became standstill came to be known as 'Amaninnayidam' and later on become 'Ameda'. Parasurama decided to construct a temple at the same place where the tortoise  stopped its travel. And hence the Ameda temple came into its being.

Main Offerings in the temple


1. Karthika Pooja - Karthika of Vrishchikam is very special here. Special archana and Dwadashakshari Pooja done in this occassion.

2. Karthika Payasam - This is for child birth. Couples need to come for 12 months in a year and offer payasam.

3. Kindi Eriyal and Poovattaka Kamizhthal  - These are offered to Sapthamathrukkal for blessings fo child birth

4. Pulluvan Pattu


Visiting the temple on Ayilyam day in the month hs Kanni, Thulam,Vrishchikam and Meenam  are considered to be more sacred and important.




Tuesday 27 November 2012

Pallassena Meenkulathi Bhagavathy Temple

Pallassena Meenkulathi Bhagavathy Temple

Meenkulathi Bhagavathi Temple, also known as Pallassanakavu, is one of the most famous temples in South India. It is situated in Pallassena village in Palakkad

How to reach
From Palakkad you will get get buses to Pallassena or Koduvayoor

Story behind the temple
Some merchants from Tamil Nadu came to Malabar for business and they settled here. Among them there was an old man who was a devotee of Madurai Meenakshi and he  used to travel from Kerala to Madurai regularly to visit Devi.

He was growing old but he kept going to Madurai and he he prayed to goddess Meenakshi telling that he was afraid how long he would be able to travel and visit Devi.

On his way back to home he took bath in a pond keeping his umbrella on the bank of the pond. After his bath when he tried to lift the umbrella he couldn't. He became astonished and an astrologer was brought and he found the presence of Goddess Meenakshi there.

He understood that Madurai meenakshi devi has decided to stay in this  place called Pallassena. A small temple was constructed immediately.The place is now called Kudamannu.

Temple Timings

The following are the times the temple is kept open for devotees:
 

Sunday, Tuesday, Friday
5-30a.m. to 12-30 p.m.

Mondays Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
5-30a.m. to 10.30 a.m.

Evening all days
5-30 p.m. to 7.30 pm

The main offering is Niramala.

Friday 16 November 2012

Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple - Thripunithura

Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple - Thripunithura

 The main deity of this temple is Maha Vishnu in the form of Santhanagopala Murthy.The position of the god looks like sitting on the five headed serpent called Anantha. The two upper hands of Lord Vishnu hold Sanku and Sudarshana Chakram and the lower right hand holds the Lotus flower. The sitting position of the god is called as Poornathrayeesa. 

The word Poornathrayeesa is separated into 3 word like Poorna refer as complete, Thraye refer as three and Isa refer as iswara which refer as Lord of 3 Vedas or Lord of Knowledge. 

 The most important festival is Vrishchikoltsavam celebrated in the month of November to December for 8 days. The ritual called Kanikka edal is celebrated during the 4th day of the Vrishchikoltsawam festival. During this ceremony elephants were decorated with ornaments and the people used to offer to god in a golden pot kept on the raised stage. Large numbers of devotees visit to temple during this ceremony 

Childless couple come and pray here and there is a strong belief that they have children thereafter.On the back side of Sreekovil, there is a small window from where devotees can get a close look at the idol of Santhana Gopala Moorthy of Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple. Devotees can also have a look at the idol of Lord Ganapathi on the extreme south side of the temple

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Stay happy after Marriage

Stay happy after Marriage


To stay happy in marriage may seem like a difficult task sometimes when both person are of different nature. If you follow some simple tips you can be happy all the time.

1. Always be open- Be expressive, express all your views, emotions and share everything. Rather than talking the issues to some one else always raise your issues or thoughts to your partner


Communication is the main thing in any relation.Dont expect your partner to read your mind

2. Accept each other- Magnify and understand the positives in each other, try to point out the negatives, try to change it. If not possible just accept it.

3. Spend quality time together

4. Clarify about the goals or ambition - Each of us have a vision of our life. Know fully about your partner's goal, support him/her for achieving the goal

5. Never underestimate your partner.

Friday 19 October 2012

Our Guruvayoor visit


We have visited Guruvayoor temple many times before and had prayed. But this visit was special in many ways. Usually we go there stand in the queue and pray and come back.

But this time I learnt a lot of things and thought would share these.

The temple is open form 3 am in the morning till 1.30 and then from 4.30 till 9 pm. Men should wear mundu or dhoti and women saree or salwar. Mobiles are not allowed inside the temple.

No words to describe the feeling in the morning of  Nirmalyam darsan accompanied by Jnanapana, Narayeenyam and HariNamaKeerthanam sung by our singer P.Leela.

If you have a plan to visit Guruvayoor the best would be to see all poojas and stay back there a day. There are good hotels/lodges near by.

There are special queues for ladies and senior citizens. You can consult the temple authorities for this. The best moments are during the Deeparadhana time(6.30 pm) and the Attazha sheeveli time(8.30 pm).

It is believed that a trip to Guruvayur is not complete , if one does not visit Mammiyur temple.This temple  has Lord Siva as the main deity and there are shrines for Parvati and Vishnu ,  Ganapati, Muruga and Ayyappa. You cannot enter the temple wearing Pants/Churidars.

You can do different offerings like Thrikkai Venna, kadali pazham, palppayasam etc, be sure to check the timings when you can get the prasadan after Pooja.


You can chant Jnanapana, Narayeenyam and HariNamaKeerthanam, Vishnu sahrasanamam or any Krishna sthuthi that you know.


Ladies perform Adi Pradhakshinam and gents Shayana Pradakshinam as Vazhipadu. 


We saw the tall idol of Maraprabhu in front of the Sreevalsom guest house beside the statue of Guruvayur Kesavan. This is the biggest terracotta idol in Asia.

There is a story behind this.
 

While chanting Vishnu Sahasra namam, Poonthaanam mispronounced the word ‘Amaraprabhu’  as ‘maraprabhu’ at the temple, and the Sanskrit scholar Melpathur laughed at him for it. Then a voice was heard from the temple  that ‘I am also the Marapabhu’! Maraprabhu means the Lord of all trees.Thousands of different types of herbs were used in the construction of this idol.
  




Friday 28 September 2012

Barfi


A film worth watching for many reasons, this is Barfi. 

When the film started and saw that Ranbir is dumb, we thought would be film be boring without speech. But no, this thought never came to our mind later because of the impressive performance of Ranbir.

When you leave the theatre you surely will feel a feeling of joy.The beauty of Darjeeling is shown beautifully in the movie.Though the central characters are with disabilities, the director doesnt want us to sympethise with them, but we envy them since it is filled with positivity.

There is a beautiful message in the movie. It is not fare to love someone with mental calculations.Even with so many imperfections we can live a perfect life if there is LOVE.The primary factor in any relation is LOVE. The film is like a fairy land and Barfi finds joy in the simple things.

I liked the title song too which was little different' picture shuru...'

Kudos to all team members.

Random Quotes

If you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people, it’s because God knows they are capable of handling it.

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect, it simply means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.

Everything in life is temporary.So if things are going good, enjoy it because it won’t last forever. And if things are going bad, don't worry. It can’t last forever either

Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Todays Inspiration - Charlie Chaplin


Todays Inspiration - Charlie Chaplin

I was strongly in need of an inspiration and now the credit goes to Charlie Chaplin, the man who is known for his laughter and comedy.

Some of the famous quotes by him


"You have to believe in yourself, that's the secret. Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world. I had to feel the exuberance that comes from utter confidence in yourself. Without it, you go down to defeat."

Your thoughts can shield you from the worst of difficulties as long as you believe in yourself.

We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.

These quotes and his life teach us  that  self belief and a positive approach to life enable people to overcome all adversities in life.

His real life story

Chaplin was born in Walworth. His mother and father were stage performers but they got divorced when Charlie was young.   As a child Chaplin went to the orphanage because his parents were unable to look after him. His mother fell ill and was in and out of an asylum while his father became an alcoholic and died when Charlie was 14.  Throughout his life Charlie Chaplin struggled with challenges. Born to an alcoholic father and a mother who suffered mental illness, Charlie Chaplin was supposed to be written off by the society; but he knew that the power of thoughts and laughter could overcome any challenge in life.

Chaplin's first stage appearance came at five years old as replacement to his mother when she was ill. The young boy confidently entertained the crowd, and received laughter and applause

He did not worry about the problems that he had, but with strong mind he struggled hard to make his way.
His lesson proves that the only barrier we face is the limitations we impose on our self-belief.

The Great Dictator is a comedy film by Charlie Chaplin released in October 1940. Like most Chaplin films, he wrote, produced, and directed, in addition to starring as the lead.

In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

Friday 7 September 2012

Nice quotes

Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present.

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

“One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.”

“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

“Don’t judge those who try and fail, judge those who fail to try.”

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Edappally Ganapathi Temple

This is a famous Ganapathi temple. Visiting this temple is a unique experience. You can enter in to the morning only from 5am to 7.30 am. This is the family temple of  Edappally Kovilam and the members of the royal family visit during the other time. A peace serene atmosphere. This is the speciality.

The main vazhipadu is Koottappam.

Friday 3 August 2012

Some quotes on Forgiveness

These are my favorite quotes on forgiving..

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free

Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time-just like it does for you and me

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

Understand that no matter how many times you say you're sorry it wont wash away all the pain and hurt you caused and the tears you made me cry.


Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too

Friday 20 July 2012

Snake Temples in Kerala

Snake Temples in Kerala

Worshipping snakes  is very common in Kerala. The following are the famous temples.

Ameda temple
This temple is located near the Vembanad lake in Thripunithura. The main festival is conducted during the "Meenam" month (March-April) of Malayalam calendar.


Pambumekkadu Mana Temple

Pambummekkadu Mana  is famous for snake worship and for getting snake-related problems(Sarpa Dosham) solved.

You can enter the temple with a pure mind and body to seek the blessings of the serpent Gods. The Serpent Gods Nagaraja and Naga yakshi  reside in the eastern portion of Mekkattu Mana. There are five Kavus of snakes. . In its place there is all time burning oil-lamp (Kedavilakku). The Prasadam given to the devotees is the oil from the lamp. The oil Prasadam has the power to cure the diseases caused due to the curse of snakes.

First of Vrishchikam and Ayilyam in the month of Kanni is very important here.

How to reach
The nearest railway station is Chalakudy. Devotees can reach here by road from any part of Kerala.There are  buses from Mala, Ashtamichira and Kodungallur, Chalakkudy. There is a small junction named vadama on the route from Mala to Ashtamichira.

Important Offerings
Kadali Pazha Vivedyam, Manjalppodi, Noorum Palum , Palppayam, Thulabharam, Ayilya Pooja are some of the main offerings.


Mannarassala Temple

The king of snakes is known as Nagaraja and the temple of Mannarshala is dedicated to him.
The town of Haripad lies twenty miles north of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala. The Nagaraja temple of Mannarshala is three kilometres to the north of Haripad

There are thousands of snakes of granite in this area covered with dense thickets. In the main temple there are two idols. One of them is NAGARAJA (King) and the other is NAGAYAKSHI (Queen). Every month Ayilyam day is very sacred here.  The annual UTSAVAM at this temple is celebrated on Ayilyam of Thulam (OCT-NOV) when a large number of people visit it and make offerings of gold, silver, salt etc.

Those who does not have children visit this temple and perform a ritual known as 'Uruli Kamazhthal'.The couple has to come and pray the serpent Gods and place a brass vessel known as 'Uruli' upside down in a place shown by the temple authorities.The lady will become pregnant very soon and after her delivery the couple again visit the temple and takes back the brass vessel. In this manner many couples are believed to have been blessed with children.

Traditional music sung by the caste known as Pulluvas accompanied by their simple hand-made stringed instruments, is highly beloved by snakes

Thursday 14 June 2012

Ernakulam Shiva temple


Ernakulam Shiva temple or Ernakulathappan is one among the 108 Shiva temples.The deity faces westwards and to the opposite is the Cochin backwaters.Arjuna is believed to have worshipped Shiva in this temple.The temple is built in typical Kerala temple architecture.

One of the important pooja is Abhisheka with water called Dhara (the bathing of Shiva lingam with 101 bottles of water) and the devotee believes that after dhara they will get lot of blessings from Lord Shiva, giving the chain of koovalam leaves to Lord Shiva is an another important worship the Hindu people believe that it reduces the bad effects of 'shani dosha'.


The Lingam in the main sanctum sanctorum is considered to be Swayambhoo (Divinely derived). On the northern side of the main sanctum sanctorum, one can see the small shrine of Kirthamoorthy where the original Lingam worshipped by Arjuna is still worshiped. On the southern side, a small shrine for Lord Ganesha is seen. There is a small area behind the main sanctum sanctorum, considered as abode of Goddess Parvati, hence the east gate is known as Devi Gate. Outside the Inner temple circle, shrines for Lord Ayyappa and Nagaraja are worshiped.

The temple is open from 3.30 am - 11 pm and from 4pm to 8pm

Adjacent to the main Shiva Temple, two other temples are constructed. On the Northern side, there is a Murugan Kovil built in Tamil style. The Muruga Kovil is managed by Tamil Brahmin Association of Ernakulam and all rituals in this temple is in accordance to Tamil style. The presiding deity is Lord Muruga with his wives Valli and Devanyani. There are two separate shrines for Navagrahas and Ganesha, apart from regular poojas for Vishnu, Dakshinamoorthy and Durga Devi.

The Hanuman temple is built in Udupi Madhava Sampradaya style

On the eastern side, there is  Hanuman temple. It was constructed by Diwan Venkat Rao in year 1850.  The presiding deity is Lord Hanuman facing towards Shiva temple on eastern side. A small idol of Lord Rama also worshiped in main sanctum sanctorum. Also shrines for lord Nagaraja and Raghavendra Swami are also worshiped in this temple.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Thought for the day - 13 June

Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
 
Everything can change in the blink of an eye.


Always believe in miracles
 

Thursday 19 April 2012

Guruvayoorappan blog

Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple

I am writing my second blog and I felt this should be dedicatd to Guruvayoorappan.  I am scribbling down the interesting stories behind the temple.

The Krishna temple in the town of Guruvayoor in Kerala is one of the five famous Krishna/Vishnu temples in India. Even though the idol in Guruvayoor is that of Vishnu it is still known as a Krishna temple since the boy Krishna is always said to be running around  in the temple premises.The presiding deity is MahaVishnu, in standing posture with four hands carrying Sankhu Panchajanya, Sudarshana chakram,lotus and gada. He is worshipped as Balakrishna, the full avatar (Purnaavatara) of Mahavishnu .The idol is made of a rare stone known as Patala Anjana.Adorned with the divine Tulasi garland the idol represents the majestic form of Maha Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki at the time of Krishna avatar

Lord Krishna in Guruvayoor is popularly called Sri Guruvayoorappan. Appan means lord or father so the title means the Lord of Guruvayoor. The small idol is made of the stone known as black antimony and is a magnetic stone said to have special medicinal properties.

The day of the lord begins with Vakacharthu and it is the preparation for his holy bath. The garlands, the flowers of the previous night are removed after the Nirmalyadarsanam and gingelly oil is poured over the idol. This oil collected their after, is considered to be very sacred.

It is believe that it acquires medicals and spiritual value. The oil remaining on the idol removed by applying vaka powder. This powder is light brown in colour and gives an added hue to the idol.  Crowds go to the temple at 3 A.M in order to see this charming sight. Then water from the temple, consecrated with mantras is poured over the idol for his ritual bath. This holy water is then eagerly drunk by the devotees since it is said to contain a little of the miraculous properties of the stone of which the idol is made.

According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. The history of the idol goes back to the hoary past to the age of Dwapara when Lord Krishna was alive.

This idol was once worshipped by Mahavishnu in Vaikunta. Vishnu handed it over to Brahma. King Suthapas and his wife who worshipped Bhrama for a child received this idol from Brahma. He advised them to 2 start worshipping the idol. Once Lord Vishnu appeared before them and blessed them that he himself will be born as their child in their three re-births in three different forms and in three different situations. Thus they got the good fortune to worship the same deity in all three rebirths. They gave birth to Prasnigarbhan who gave to the world the practice of Brahmacharya Vratha (Celibacy) . In their next birth, Suthapas and his wife were born as Kashyapa and Adithi . Their son in that birth was Vamana. The third rebirth was as Vasudeva and Devaki. The Lord Krishna was born as their eighth son. In the long run , the Lord Krishna himself installed this idol in Dwaraka and worshipped it.

Finally at the time of Krishna's ascension to Vaikunta, he instructed Udhava to entrust Brahaspathi (the Guru of Devas) with the task of taking the idol to a suitable place where people could worship it, so as to get salvation in Kaliyuga.He told
that the island of Dwaraka,  would be swept away by the sea, seven days after he left his mortal body. He instructed him to rescue the precious idol of Vishnu which his parents had worshipped, and hand it over to Brihaspati, the guru of the gods who would come to him. After seven days, the island submerged in the sea as foretold by Lord Krishna. Uddhava went sadly to the seashore and saw the idol bobbing up and down on the waves far out in the sea. He begged the wind god – Vayu to bring it closer to him. The wind wafted it gently to the shore and Uddhava picked it up lovingly and cradled it in his arms. As he was wondering how to contact the guru of the gods, he found that Brihaspati himself was walking towards him. Uddhava told him the whole story of how Lord Krishna had instructed him and Brihaspati who knew everything agreed to take it and install it at some special place. He was sure that he would be given further instructions.

Now Brihaspati asked Vayu, the wind god to transport him through the air so that they could choose a perfect spot for the installation. Carrying the precious idol in his hands, Brihaspati was wafted across the sub-continent of India till they came almost to the sea shore to the spot where the present town of Guruvayoor now stands. Looking down Brihaspati saw a beautiful lake filled with lotuses on the banks of which Shiva and Parvati were dancing. He was charmed by the sight and he requested Vayu to float him down. For some time he stood spell-bound by the dancing couple. When they had finished he prostrated to them and begged Shiva to tell him of a perfect spot to install the idol of Vishnu. Shiva said that this was indeed the ideal place. He told him to build the temple right there at one end of the lake where he and Parvati had been dancing. He magnanimously said that he himself would take up residence at the other end of the lake which was known as Rudrathirta. The temple of Mammiyoor to which Shiva shifted still exists. . The idol was installed by Brihaspati, the guru of the gods and Vayu, the god of wind and hence came to be known as Guru-vayoor!

On November 30,1970,a massive fire broke out in the temple. It begin from the western chuttambalam and raged all around for five hours, but the Sreekovil , the Vigraha, sub-shrines of Ganapathy , Sastha , Bhagavathy and flag-staff remained unaffected

Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri

The famous poet and scholar, Meppathur Narayana Bhattathiri, composed the poem known as “Narayananeeyam”, which is a wonderful epic in Sanskrit consisting of one thousand and thirty six verses.

Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri, was an erudite scholar in Sanskrit, well-versed in the choice of words which make the work highly rhythmic and flowing, with a very high literary value, comparable to any of the compositions of classical Sanskrit poets.

The composition of the poem is connected with a miracle.

Narayana Bhattathiri was born is a family of Namboodiris, who are the Brahmin caste of Kerala. By the age of sixteen he was a great Vedic scholar. However he soon fell into bad company and began to neglect the daily duties enjoined on him by his caste and upbringing. His father-in-law was a very pious and learned astrologer. One morning when he was seated on the veranda scrutinising a yantra in front of him, Bhattathiri who had woken up late came rushing out and in his hurry to reach the yard he jumped over the sacred yantra. The old man rebuked him in strong terms for his negligence in the pursuit of his swadharma and for dissipating this human life which should have been spent in the pursuit of the final goal of liberation. Somehow the effect of this rebuke was electrical. He realised his mistake and promised to mend his ways and begged the old man to accept him as his disciple.

Bhattathiri became one of his greatest disciples. In his later years the astrologer was stricken with crippling rheumatoid arthritis. Bhattathiri was a very great devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan by this time and he begged the Lord to allow him to take over the disease of his master. Needless to say the old man improved and Bhattathiri contacted the dread disease. He was totally afflicted and could hardly move. He made his friends take him to Guruvayoor. Every morning he would take his bath and be carried to the temple. Here he sat propped up by the wooden pillar on the eastern side of the southern porch and composed his immortal classic called “The Narayaneeyam” which is a condensed version of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana which describes the glories of all the ten incarnations of Vishnu with special reference to the Krishnavatara.  The hundred-canto poem follows the original closely and describes all the incarnations of Lord Vishnu starting with the “Fish”. Naturally he elaborated at length on the life of Lord Krishna. Every day painfully, he would continue with his self imposed task and at the end of each canto he would beg the Lord to cure him of his dire disease.

The special thing about “The Narayaneeyam” is that it is addressed directly to the Lord of Guruvayoor. Bhattathiri imagined the child Krishna sitting in front of him listening avidly to the stories of his own incarnations. Hence many of the stories sound as if they are being told to a child. At times the pain would be too intense for him and he would stop in the middle of a story and throw his stylus down and refuse to go any further even though the child was anxious to hear the end of the story. At this time it is said that the child Krishna would come close and stroke his limbs and make him fit to carry on with the tale the next day.

As the days and months slipped by with Bhattathiri singing the praises of the Lord, he got progressively better. By the time he sang the last canto he was completely cured. Moreover he was blessed with a vision of the Lord standing inside the sanctum and smiling at him. The hundredth canto is a description of this beatific vision. He starts this canto with the words, “In front of me I am seeing…” Bhattathiri lived to the ripe old age of a hundred and six years. He spent most of his life in the temple worshipping the Lord of his heart. The poem is indeed a gem of both devotion and erudition. Even though most of the temple has been re-modelled and the pillars changed into marble, the wooden pillar on which Bhattathiri rested during his arduous labour of love is still retained.

. The old Namboodiri Brahmin known as Poonthanam was a great devotee and many miracles took place during his lifetime. The famous poem called “Jnanapana” is a masterpiece of devotion and wisdom. Vilvamangalam was another great devotee. Krishna is said to have appeared in person and sat before him whenever he did his puja! Another great devotee was Kururamma who was a childless widow. When she grew too old to attend to her own necessities it is said that the boy Krishna came to her in the form of a servant boy and did all her work for her!


Many cases of cures and miracles have been attributed to Guruvayoorappan.The temple opens at 3 AM and closes late at night very often at 10 PM or even later when there are special functions.

The Lord is decorated in various ways during the different pujas. Early morning he is shown as a young child wearing only a small red kaupina and decorated with small jewels and mayilppeeli.He holds a ball of butter in his hand. For the next puja at 10 AM he looks a little older. He is fully adult by the noon puja which is the most elaborate.  This ornamentation remains on him till the next morning.One of the striking features of this temple is that the idol has been so placed that it is visible from very far off, way beyond the main temple doors.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

You become WHAT you THINK!!!

I was thinking of what should the topic for my first blog  and I thought of writing about the best lesson I learnt in life.

I believe it is our thought process that affects how we express ourselves and who we become.

The earth grows what is sowed whether it is good or poisonous.In the same way our brains also grow the thoughts we entertain. These thoughts ultimately determine who we become, how we deal with issues, how we solve problems and how we present ourselves. Therefore the real challenge is how to control what is implanted in our brain.

Thinking is an automated process. Brain processes the thoughts and reflections of the same are seen in
our face, our speech, our body and it controls our overall attitude.

 The thoughts dominate our minds often against our will. We feel  stressed out and unsecured because of negative feelings.

If you implant negative thoughts in your brain, pretty soon your entire thought process will be negative and you become a person who sees only the negative side of everything.

Conversely if you implant positive thoughts in mind, your thought process becomes one of always seeing postives in everything, always finding clear cut ways in your life  and your productivity increases.

Whatever is happening in life is a direct result of the mentality we have cultivated and the choices we have made in the past. By consistently cultivating good thoughts, we can change the character formation in us.

To win in any field man needs skill, training, knowledge and luck. But if our mind is clear, it will find everything provided we are clear of the goal.