Overview

Sree Narasimhamoorthy Temple, Rishi Narada Mangalam

Location

History

Deities

Photo Gallery

Utsavams

Vahanas

Adimakkavu

Other Agraharam Information

Contact Information

Well Known Elders from the Agraharam

Food and Catering

Hall for functions and Lodging

Bank Accounts for sending Kanikkai, donation or vazhipadu

Author's Notes

Rishinaradamangalam - 100 Agraharams Project

Rishi Narada Mangalam or R Mangalam as the locals call it is 100% heaven. It is a place right out of a picture book. 6 kilometers North west from Vadakkancheri, there are vast rice fields and a short distance from the Kannabra Puducode road a single mud road terminates at the Narasimhamoorthy temple.

From what I read about the agraharam and the temple - It is a temple consecrated by Narada Swamy of Lord Vishnu with "Chathurbhuja" - சதுர்புஜ விஷ்ணு. To calm a Prahalada who was visibly overwhelmed seeing the terrific form of NarasimhaSwamy, the Lord appeared as a "shantha-moorthy" - a benign and peaceful form of the avatar. Even when the lord is in a benign form, an offering of "Panagam" (jaggery water) is made every evening to cool the Narasimha inside the effulgent Lord.

I read that the "Kannambra - Rishinarada Mangalam Vela" is a grand finale to the summer festivals in the Palakkad-Thrissur region. "Considered as the largest festival in this region, the festival has an intriguing nickname, 'Chakka Vela', relating it to a story about the harvest of jackfruits and mangoes."

Let me copy what I found on the web about the festival:

"The annual festival of Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Kavu, two competing groups Kannambra Desam and Rishinarada Mangalam Desam are the ones who lead the festivities. The festival is celebrated on 10th or 11th of the Malayalam month of Edavam. Otherwise, from Vishu, the 41st day will be the Kannambra Vela. Both the Desams stage a procession towards the temple and are accompanied by about seven elephants and the traditional orchestras such as Panchavadyam, Pandi melam, and Desa Vadyam. The centered elephant holds the ‘Thidambu’ of the Goddess making for a grand spectacle. "Vaalum Chilambum Ezhunnallathu", a colourful procession indicating the arrival of the Goddess to bless the devotees and Eedu Vedi –fireworks at noon, are two of the main highlights of the festival."

I also mention from the - (Data furnished by Sree Sreedhara Kajmaya and collected by Sree Thampi N. Suresh of the Census Directorate)

"Datable to very ancient period, it is believed that the idol of the temple was installed by Rshi Narada. Because of this, the place got the name Rshinarada-mangalam. The temple was taken over by the H.R.&C.E. Department in 1952. Till then it was owned by Kannambra Nayar taravat.

Prior to the implementation of Land Reforms Act, the temple owned paddy fields which fetched 800 paras of paddy, besides 70 cents of dry lands. Now the temple owns only the dry lands of which 60 cents constitute the temple complex. The structures thereon are sreekovil with mukha-mandapam, namaskara-mandapam, sub-shrines, chuttambalam with agra-mandapam, valiya-balikkall, dhwajam, deepastambham, wells and tank.

The dwara-palas made of sila and woodcarvings of Navagrahas on the ceiling of namaskara-mandapam deserve special mention. The sila idol of Lord Narasimha-moortty is of standing pose (height: 90 cm.) and has four arms with conch and disc in the upper hands and lotus in the right lower hand. The left lower hand is of katibandha pose (kept at the waist)."

The last time I went to the place, we arrived at the temple at 7 in the morning and the east facing temple was awash with the golden glow of the rising sun. The green rice fields, clear blue skies, terracotta tiled temple, the mud roads made the place intoxicating.

Sriram(Hari)

Radhe Krishna

Sriram (Hari)

100-Agraharams Project

Rama Bhagavathar Charitable Trust

October 25, 2024