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Progress of a pilgrimage

K. PRADEEP discovers a pilgrim trail in Malappuram that is attracting a number of sightseers

ON A HOLY TRAIL Malappuram Nalambala Yatra covers Sree Ramaswamy Temple.

Monsoon tourism, with its special packages, manages to keep the industry alive before the `real' season arrives. In between, we have pilgrim tourism now, in rain drenched Karkidakam. Along with the monsoon packages, is the now popular Nalambalam (Four Temples) Yatra.

This concept, which has given pilgrim tourism in Kerala a boost, has been introduced in Kottayam and Malappuram, after Thrissur. "The four temples in Malappuram are in Puzhakattiri panchayat, within a radius of two kilometres, on the Perinthalmanna-Malappuram route. Here, the Bharatha temple, part of the yatra, is in ruins. Since there are very few Hindu families there, the Muslims in the area have offered to help renovate the temple.

Most of the Muslims are now settled in the land that was once part of these temples. So they feel that they should also contribute to the improvement of these temples," says Rajiv Irinjalakuda, who was mainly responsible in popularising the Nalambalam Yatra in Kerala.

Sree Bharataswamy Temple.

A teacher, Rajiv visited the four temples in Thrissur (beginning from Sree Rama Temple, Triprayar, to the Koodalmanickam Temple, where the presiding deity is Bharatha, on to the Lakshmana temple at Moozhikulam and the Shatrughna shrine at Payammal, all in Thrissur district) and wrote an article about it in a magazine in 1997.

"It was Kunjunni Master, the poet, who asked me to try and publish this as a book. He also offered to help me financially. So in 1998, I brought out the first edition of `Nalambalam Theerthayatra.' Very soon this `yatra' had become quite popular. " says Rajiv.

Organised pilgrimage

Sree Laksmanaswamy Temple.

Soon, this event found a place in the tourist calendar and tour operators began organising conducted tours. "This year we have already had more than 100 people on this tour from our branch to the four temples in Thrissur district. We provide a comfortable bus with a video film on the history and significance of the journey, a professionally trained guide, and foo," says Reshmi Murali, branch manager, Vivekananda Travels, Kochi.

It was a reader who informed Rajiv of the presence of similar temples in Kottayam and this took the man exploring these long-forgotten sites. The four temples are centred round Ramapuram, within a distance of three kilometres on the Koothatukulam-Pala route.

Sree Shatrughnaswamy Temple.

The four temples, Ramapuram Sree Ramaswamy Temple, Koodappulam Sree Lakshmanaswamy Temple, Amanakara Sree Bharathaswamy Temple and Methiri Shree Sathrughnaswamy Temple are being taken care of, some by Namboodiri families, or by a temple committee.

From 2001 onwards Rajiv's book had a new title, `Ramayana Maasam.'

"The contents of the book have now been expanded to include the significance of the month of Karkidakam and of Ramayana. Rajiv has just brought out the second edition of his book on Kerala's ashrams.

(WITHINPUTS FROM SHYAMA RAJAGOPAL)

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