Sati Nagjee Football Tournament,Kozhikode

The Sait Nagjee All India Football tournament is one of the most prestigious Tournaments held in Kozhikode since The Year 1952.the Tournament was very popular from the beginning & attracted large crowd since 1952. The tournament played until 1995 regularly though with stoppages a couple of times. In 1995 ,the Tournament was won by JCT Club. Since 1995 ,for the last 19 years the tournament was not held at all. It is said that the Tournament is likely to be revived this year.Kozhikode is one of the most popular place for playing Football..Inspire of this no one bothered to keep the Tournament alive until now.the reasons unknown. Kerala is one of the most popular place for Football.there are many teams spread over,Kochi,Kozhikode,Malappuran And many other places in Malabar. In the Nagjee Tournament every year teams from Kerala took part without fail Just once in the year 1967 Alind, Kundara could produce a winner of the Tournament. The tournament gradually lost popularity .the reason is unknown. It is,however, a welcome news to hear about the reviving of the tournament this year. Let us hope the Tournament would really be held in Kozhikode soon . Sreedharan Mundanat 26th August 2014, 08-44 AM(IST)

Scrapping of Planning Commission

The Planning Commission was setup by the Central Government in March 1950.The objective of the Commission was to Promote rapid transformation of Indian Economy and a speedy improvement of the standard of living of people.It was . Mandated to do do so through 5 year Plans .The formulation of thePlans & their execution were not supposed to be Technocratic Exercises and the mandate included the outlining of larger Socio-Political Context.The first four Plans went well.Later in 1970 Therecwere criticisms from various sources.The chairman of the commission is the Prime Minister.Cabinet colleagues are not members.This perhaps defect of the commission as the PM has sole discretions in all matters. Any how,the present Economical conditions in the country seems to be Stable.Perhaps,this Stable nature is thatmakes the PM to announce all daring policies. What is yet to happen is to be very closely watched& waited.Anything can happen if a wrong policy is implemented .About Planning Commission it is controversial to take any drastic division. SreedharanMundanat 17th August 2014 08-12 AM(IST)

Blood pressure

What is Blood High Blood Pressure? This is a condition in which The force of the Blood against Artery walls is high enough that it may eventually Cause Health problems like Heart disease. , Blood pressure is determined by the amount of Blood Heart pumps and the amount of resistance to the Blood flow In the Arteries. The more Blood one's heart pumps & theNarrower the arteries,the higher is one's Blood Pressure. One can have Hypertension for years without any clear symptoms.Even without Symptons the damage to the Blood Vessels& Heart continues & can be detected.Uncontrolled High pressure Increases the risk of Serious health problems including Heart attack & Stroke. High Blood Pressure develops Generally over manyyears and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately High Blood Pressure can be detected.Once you detect you should seek advice from Doctor. SYMPTOMS: Most people with High Blood Pressure have no symptoms,evenif Blood pressure readings reach high levels. Although a few people may have dull headache,dizzy spellsOr a few nosebleeds than normal.these Symptoms ,however, do not occur until high blood pressure has reached a level of life threatening Stage. After the age of 18 everyone should cunsult a doctor to determine the level of Blood pressure at least every two years. There are machines also to measures blood pressure.But they are not reliable always.it is advice able to check pressure by a Doctor Manually. There are two types of High Blood Pressure. PRIMARY(ESSENTIAL)HYPERTENSION.: For most adults there is no identifiable cause of High Blood Pressure.This type of High Blood Pressure called Essential Hypertension Tends to develop gradually over many years. SECONDARY HYPERTENSION: Some people have High blood pressure caused by an underlying condition.This type of Blood Pressure called Secondary Hypertension,tends to appear suddenly and cause higher Blood Pressure called secondary Hypertension than does primary hypertension.Various conditions & medications lead to Secondary Hypertension including: Kidney problems Adrenal Gland tumors Thyroid problems Certain defects in Blood vesselsone is born with Certain medication such as Birth control Pills,Cold remedies& use of Painkiller Tablets. Use of Cocaines& Amphetemines Alcohol Abuse or Chronic alcohol use Obstructive sleep Apneas Regular food habits of Fruits,nuts,beans & Dairy products without much fat is good for Blood pressure Regular excursuses tonthe body is essential . Regular check up with Doctor is an essential factor. Every two months doctor should be consulted & Blood pressure checked up. Avoid excess use of salt.if one can avoid salt it is better for high blood pressure patients. Regular sleep of 6 hours & enough rest HAVE NICE HEALTH &NICE DAYS AHEAD SREEDHARAN MUNDANAT 16 th August 2014 05-50 PM :

A Few Tips for Eating Well For Long Life

In this Blog on Health ,let us discuss how health Habits & eating well can benefit to achieve long life. There are practically none in the World who do not wish to live long with good health eating good food. Let us discuss the Benefits of consuming Olive Oil by including in Health Habits: Olive oil is a tasty monounsaturated fat that may positively affect memory.A compound in cextra-virgin olive oil called oleocanthol is a natural anteinflamatory and produces effects similar to ibuprofen or aspirin Nonsteroidal Anti inflammatory Drug.One study on men showed that Olive Oil especially extra-virgin increased HDL,the good Cholestrol that clears fat from blood vessel walls. Let us see now about Anteoxidants & aging process: Eat rich foods of Anteoxidants to help fight free radicals unstable Oxigen molecules that contributes to the Aging process Anteoxidants can be found in Colorful Vegetables& Fruits like Berries,beets& Tomatos.For a balanced food Diets & to help one to reduce the risk of developing risk of Heart disease& Cancer at least servings of food at least to 5 to 9 Times to one's diet every day is necessary. Berries are of great sources of Anteoxidants.Strawberries,Blueberries& acai Berries are just some examples of Polyphinol- rich Berries.These powerful compounds are capable of helping in combat against Cancers and degenerative Diseases of Brain.Frozen Berries too contain Polyphenols.So it is important to include berries in the diet yeararound. One should also add Fiber-rich bean to daily diets.If not daily at least 3 to 4 times a Week.Fiber can help lower Blood Pressure,improve Cholestrol,prevent Constipation and help Digestion.Because of your feeling longer,eating a diet higher in Fiber can help to reduce Weight.Top a salad with Chickpeas or use beans in place of meat in Soups.Beans contain Complex carbohydrates to help regulate Glucose levels which is very essential for people with diabetes. The enormous value of eating vegetable diets should not be ignored.The veggies contain Fiber,Phoytonutrients and loads of vitamins& minerals that can protect from Chronic diseases.Dark Greeny leaves contain VitaminK for stronger bones.Sweet potatos& Carrot contain VitaminA which keeps eyes& skin healthy and protect against infection.Studies have revealed that having a service of Tomatos or Tomato products every day can prevent The DNA damage associated with the development of Prostrate Cancer. People living near the Mediterraneanregularly incorporate Olive Oil,Fish,Vegetables& whole grains and occasional addition of a glass of red wine to their Diets.Instead of Salt they depend upon Spices& herbs to flavor their food.This "Meditternian Diet" can be beneficial to Heart Health ,reduce the risk of Mild memory impairments & may ward off Certain kind of Cancers, Nuts are packed with Cholestrol free Protiens& other Nutrients irrespective of whether they are taken whole or in the form of Paste.Almonds are rich in VitaminE an antioxidant that Protects body from cell damage and helps boost the immune system. Pecans contain antioxidants.The unsaturated fats in Walnuts can help reduce LDL & increase HDL Cholestrol.But Nuts are not Fatfree.One ounce of Walnuts( approximately 24 numbers) Contain 160 Calories.So it is better eat nuts in Moderation. Drinking Milk is like drinking Vitamin D.Milk also helps increase in Cancium Absorption which is important for the bone health. Vitamin D also can reduce the risk of colon,Breast& Prostate Cancers.Take Yogurt With live cultures to aid Digestion. Eating Whole Grains can reduce risk of certain Cancers,type2 Diabetes and Heart disease.It is advice able to choose whole-grain Breads,and Pastasand brown or wild rice instead of white rice.Also drop Barley to soups or add Oatmeals to Meatloaf.Whole grains are minimally processed& so they retain Nutritional values.The Fiber in Whole Grains helps prevent Digestive problems such as Constipation and diverticular disease. Keeping off extra weight puts less pressure on Joints,Less strain on your Heart,and can reduce risk of certain Cancers.It gets tougher to do as Metabolism slows as one gets muscles lost due to aging process.It is advice able to select Lean meat,tuna or Beans.Increase whole grains,Vegetable& Fruits in the diet .Otherwise it takes more Energy for the body to break down Complex Carbs and added fiber will help one feel better. Sometimes in the process of aging,it is difficult to keep the weight steady& on.One might have a harder time recovering from illness or injury if one is underweight especially in the Old Age.In such cases eat three meals a day with healthy snacks in between.Try whole milk instead of Skim but limit oveall saturated Fat to avoid high Cholestrol.Eat the most Calorie - Heavy items in meals.if found necessary add A meal supplement according to the need of desired weight.Weight is always important to maintain Good Health. Sreedharan Mundanat 13th August 2014, Wednesday 08-22AM(IST)

Ante Oxidants- Need to include in Food

Anteoxidants is a very important factorthat protect the body of human beings from damages caused by harmful molecules called Free Radicals.Many experts in the Medical field believe thayt this damage is a factor in the developmentsosc of Blood Vessels diseases(Atherosclerosis),Cancer,and other conditions. One is exposed to Free Radicals: 1)Through by-products of normal processes that takes place in your body(such as burning of sugars for energy and the releases of digestiveenzymes to break down foods) 2)when the breaks down certain medicines and 3)Through Pollutants. Anteoxidants include some vitamins(Such as VitaminsC&E),someminerals(Such as selenium),and Flavvonopds,which are found in plants.The Best sources of Anteoxidants areFruits&Vegetables.One can find Flavonoids in Fruits,red wine,&teas.One can also buy Anteoxidant Supplements.But if affordable with availability of Fruits &Vegetables it is adviceable not to depend upon Supplements. The Best sources of Ante MOxidants are Cheerra,Muringayila &almost all leaf vegetables&Frupts ogf the category of Apples,Plums & berries.All Berries&Plums are rich sources of Anteoxidants. One Study also showed that Using Vitamin A,Eand beta Carotene supplements might increase the risk of premature death.So usage of Vitamin Tablets as a source of energy in a routine manner without advice from a Doctor is harmful to health.Further study is being carried out to Determine the effect of Vitamin C,and Selenium. It is always Best to get antioxidants from healthy diets consisting of Fruits& Vegetables. Again Muringayila,Muringakkaya,Muringappuvu are the best source of Anteoxidants. It highly advice able to include MURINGA products in the daily routine of Food Habit. Anteoxidants are used to treat some disorders like Coronary Artery Disease(CAD),Some Cancers,Macular degeneration,Alzheimer's The treatment of CAD with Anteoxidant supplements & traditional Medicines are being made subject to research even today.Some experts believe that the Anteoxidants might help treatment for CAD .But this has not been proved as yet. Until more studies are carried out ,it is better to get antioxidants from diet like Fruit& Vegetables rather than from Supplements.Taking Supplements in high doses can be Harmful.No single Anteoxidant alone can protect the body.Most of the people should eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits& Vegetables every day. The USFood and Drug Administration ( FDA) Does regulate Dietary Supplemetaries.However,it treats them like food rather than Medications.Unlike Drug manufacturers ,The makers of Supplements Do not have to show their products are safe or effective before selling in the open Markets. It is always better to tell one's Doctor If one is using dietary supplements With one's conventional medical Treatment.It may not be safe to forgo one's Conventional medical treatment and rely on a Dietary Supplement.This is especially important for women who are pregnant or doing the Breast feeding. In the cases where supplementary diets are being used for treatment,the following should be kept in mind. 1)Like conventional Medicines,dietary Supplements may cause side effects,trigger allergic Reactions,Or interact with Prescriptions& & nonprescription medicinesOr other supplements one is taking.A side effect or other interaction with another medicineor supplement may make one's health worse. 2) How dietary Supplements are being manufactured may not be Standerised.Because of this how well they work or any side effect they cause may differ among brandsor even with different lots of the same Brand.The form of a supplement that one buy In health food or grocery Stores may not be the same as The form used in research. 3) Other than Vitamins and MineralsThe long term effects of The Dietary supplements are not known. So in future include as much Fruits& Vegetables in your day to day food so that one could Avail of the benefits of Anteoxidants to the maximum value. The following are some of the rich sources of Natural Small red bean,Wild Bluberry,Red Kidney bean dried,Pinto bean,Blueberry( cultivated),Cranberry,Artichoke(cooked),Blackberry,Prune,Raspberry,Strawberry,Red Delicious Apple,Granny Smith Apple,Pecan,Sweet Cherry,Black plum,Russet poteto cocked,Black bean dried,plum& Gala Apple. Please don't ever forget MURINGA Products& Cheera of all varieties to be included in the diet on a regular habit SreedharanMundanat 11th August 2014, 09-27 AM( IST)

A Brief History of Coffee& It's Grouth.

F

There is a general Habit found among devotees to the Mahakshetrams of Kerala who make visit for an early morning Darshan that they do take a cup of coffee after the Darshan as a matter of Routine& I am not an exception to this Habit and instead in fact a typical example to it.this habit is generally found more among devotees from Tamilnadu. In my case it is a habit formed from early childhood when I used to accompany my Mother to Guruvayoor Temple every morning.I am not sure whether my faith ,unlike my Mother ,was more to the God or to the Breakfast that followed Invariably with coffee. The origin of the most popular drink in the world the Coffee has a legend behind it which can not be totally ignored & instead should be believed as there is some substance in the legend. The legend is related to a Goatherd by name Kaldi of the Ethopian Highland It is said that he one day noticed that His goats after eating berries from a plant became so spirited that they did not sleep at night.He truthfully reported the matter to the leader of the local monasty .He on hearing this Made a drink with the Berries and discovered that it kept him Alert for long hours of Evening Prayer.Soon he shared his discovery with other monks at the Monestery,and ever so slowly,the knowledge of the energizing effect of the berries began to spread.As words moved east the coffee reached the Arabian Penisula.It then began a journey to spread it's reputation across the Globe. Today Coffee is grown In a multitude of Countries around the World.Whether it is Asia or Africa,Central or South America,The Islands of Carreabean or Pecific all can trace their heritage to the trees in the Ancient Coffee forests on the Ethopian Plateau. The Arabs were the first not only to cultivate coffee but to begin it's trade as well.By the fifteenth Century,coffee was beinggrown in the Yemeni District of Arabia.&by the sixterenth centuryit was well known in Persia,Egypt,Syria&Turkey. Coffee was not only drunk in homes but extended to Coffee Houses which began to appear in the cities across the near East.The popularity of Coffee houses became unequated&people started frequenting them for all kinds of social activities.Not merely they had as cup of coffee during conversations but also listened to Music,watched performers,played chess &other gmes and kept current on the news of the day. In fact,they quickly became such an important center for thev Exchange of information that the C offee Houses were often referred to as "Schools of the Wise" With thousands of Pilgrims visiting the the Holy City of Mecca each year from all over the world,word of the "wine of Arabs was beginning to spread far beyond Arabia.In an effort to maintain it's complete monopoly in the early Coffee trade,the Arabians continued to closely guard their Coffee production. Europian travellers to the near East brought back stories of the unusual dark black beverage.By the Seventeenth century,Coffee had mde its way to Europe &was becoming popular across the continent.Opponents to this trend,were very cautious callingb the Beverage"The Bitter invention of the Satan".With tyhe coming of Coffee toVenice in 1615,the local Clergy condemned it.The controversy was so big that Pope Clemen v111 was asked to intervene. Before making a decision ,however,he decided to taste the Beverage for Himself.Hev found the drink so satisfying that he gave it Papalapproval. inspite of such controversy,in the major cities oEngland,Austria,France,Germany&Holland Coffee Houses were quickly becoming centres of social Activity&Communication.In England,"Penny Universities" sprang up,so called becaise for the price odf a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee &engage in stimulating conversation.By the middle of 17th Century,there were over 300 coffee houses in London.,many of which attracted patrons with common interests such as Merchants,Shippers,Brokers&Artists. Many Businesses grew out of these specialised coffee houses.Lloyds of London,for example,came into existence at the Edward Lioyd's Coffee House. In the middle of 1600 coffee was brought to New Amsterdam,a location later called New York by British. Though Coffee Houses rapidly began to appear,yea continued yo be the favoured drink in the New World until 1773. when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on Tea imposed by King George.The revolt known as Boston Tea Party ,would foeever change the American drinking preference to coffee. The demand for the Beverage continued to spread.There was tense competition to cultivate Coffee outside of Arabia.Though the Arabs tried hard to maintain their monopoly,the Dutch finally succeeded in the later half of 17th Century to obtain some seedlings.Their first attempt to plant them in India failed but they were successful in their efforts in Batavia on the Island of Java in what is now called Indinesia.The plants thrived&soon the Dutch had a productive and growing tyrade in Coffee.The soon expanded the cultivation to Sumatra&Celebs. The Dutch,however,did a curious thing.In 1714,the Mayor of Amsterdam presented a gift of a youngb coffee plant to King Louis X1v of France.The King ordered it to be planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris.In 1723,a youngnaval officer,Gabriel deClieu btained from the King's Plant.Despite an ardous voyage, complete with Horrendous weather, a saboteur who tried to destroy the seedlings and a pirate attack,Gabriel managed to transport it safely to M artinique.Once planted r the seedling survived &thrived to and is credited with the spread of over18 million coffee Plants on the Island of Martinique in the nextv 50b years.It was alsothe stock from which Coffee Plants throughout the Carreabeans,South &Cental America originated. Coffee is said to have come to Brazil in the hands of Francisco de MelloPalheta who was who was sent by the Emperor to French Guiana for the purpose of obtaining coffee seedlings.Butthe French were not willing to share and Pelhata was un successful.However,he was said to have been so handsomely engaging that the French Governor's wife wasv captivated.As going-away gift ,she presented him with a large bouquer of Flowers .Buried inside he found enough cofee seeds to begin what is today a Billion Dollar Industry. In just 100 years,coffee had established itself as a commodity crop throughout the world.Missioneries and travellers,traders&Colonists continued to carry coffee seeds to new lands &coffee trees were planted world wide.Plantations were established in magnificent tropical forests and on rugged mountain highlands.Some crops flurished where others were shortlived.New Nations were established on Coffee economies.Fortunes were made7 also lost on these accounts.And by the end of 18th century,Coffee had become one of the world's most profittable crops. The leading Coffee producing countries in the world from number 1 to 10 are indicated below: Brazil,Vietnam,Colombia,Indonesiam,India,Ethiopia,Honduras,Peru,TGuatemala&Mexico. So why wait?Enjoy as much coffee as possible.We have plenty of coffe stocked all over the world &the manufacture is being continued round the clock .So unless some worldwide natural Calamity occursthe coffee in never going to be scarce in the world. Thanks to the Ethopial Goatherd Kaldi who had discovered coffee in the Fifteenth Century for us to continue to enjoy.

Sreedharan Mundanat Saturday August10,2014, 12-50PM(IST)

Mahakshetram-Sree Guruvayoorappan Temple

This is in continuation of my Blog on Guruvayoor Temple dt27/28th of July 2014 As a part of Renovation to the Great Temple of Guruvayoor ,the abode of Sree Guruvayoorappan,105 year old Deepastambham which used to make the east Gopuram Glowing in it's light is now being re established with more glow. The Deepastambham which can hold to glow 327 cotton "Thiris" is very famous since a long time. Now this Deepastambham will have a new look & would give a facelift to the entrance of Guruvayoor Temple. The inauguration of the new Deepastambham is scheduled to take place in the morning hours of Friday,the 8th of August 2014. Devotees would be delighted to know this during this Ramayanapunyamasam of July- August. Sreeguruvayoorappan Sahayam!! Sreedharan Mundanat 8th August 2014, 08-15 AM(IST)

Mahakshetrams of Kerala- Poornathrayeesa Temple,Thripunithura

The Poornathrayeesa Temple is in Thripunithura subarbantown of Kochi.this is one of the Mahakshetrams of Kerala. The Principal presiding Diety is Vishnu and is as much famous as Shri Padmanabha swamy Temple,at tTrivandrum & Guruvayoor temple in THRISSUR District. The temple is just 10 KM from Ernakulam City.This Mahakshetram is also very near to the famous Devi Kshetram at Chottanikkara The main yearly celebration in the Temple is in the Month of Vrishchikam( November-December).the it's am is called Vrishchikatsavam. The Diety is also known as SANTHANAGOPALAMOORTHY and is considered to be worth of worshipping by those who do not have children.The legend based on which this belief was formed was A story which can be also considered as the History behind this Temple. It is believed that Lord Vishnu once offered a Idol of Sree Poornathrayeesa to Arjuna the third of the Pandava brothers,when Arjuna made a request to give re-birth to 10 Children of a poor Brahmin who lost the children. Arjuna took the Idol & 10 Children to the Brahmin.He went there in a chariot.The Brahmin who was overwhelmed with joy on seeing the children vowed to built a Temple There in the form of a chariot.He built a Temple with Sanctum- Sanctorium in the shape of a chariot in memory of his children who were brought in a Chariot by Arjuna. Arjuna directed Lord GVanesha to find a suitable place for installing y\the Idol of Vishnu.The idol until then was kept in Poonithura Kottaram. Lord Ganesh found ther Sanctum in the shape of a chariot builty by the Brahmin &liked the place.He was deligted by the tranquility of the vedic village &occupied the sanctum himself Arjuna ,however,on seeing this thrown Ganesha to the southern side of the sanctum where the idol of Vishnu was installed.Usually in all temples the position of Ganesha is in the south Western side.ARJUNA FOUND THE PLACE WAS COVERED BY mUSTARD FIELDS. He gathered some mustard to light the lamps around the sanctum Sanctom. it is believed that the Valiya Vilakku (Big Lamp) in front of the Idol was the one lighted up by Arjuna&the oilb in it has medicinal effects. The Legends alsdo say that Sree Poornathrayeesa was the elder brother of the Goddess of Chottanikkara. It is also believed that the Lord was married to a Namboodiri girl Nangema from Vadakkedathu Mana. During the Temple festival occasions,Dieties from Perumthikkovil(Lord Shiva) &Pishri Kovil(Lakshmi) visit here for a combined procession This is locally called Sankaranarayana Vilakku(Shiva&Vishnu)and Lakshmi Narayana \ Vilakku(Goddess Lakshmi&Vishnu) The Aarattu (The Holy bath of the Diety) of Sree Poornethrayeesa takes place at the Temple pond of Chakkamkulangara Shiva Temple,which is situated North REast to Poornathrayeesa Temple. THE PRESIDING DIETY POORNATHRAYEESAN: The Presiding Diety POORNATHRAYEESAN is Mahavishnu as said earlier.The Temple was redesigned in 1921 by the Great Architect Eacharawarrier.The first floor of the Two storied Gopuram consists of a Mandapam. And 8 beautifully carved pillars to support the Mandapam. Even today one can find many Palatialbuildings here. The Temple is very big & the Idol is sitting on the serpent God Ananthan whose hood serves as a canopy for the Lord.The Diety looks magnificent with his right leg folded at knees & perched on the seat and Left leg hanging down.He carries Conch and Discuss in two hands and the third hand holds a Lotus and the fourth hand is resting on the seat.The Sanctom Sanctorum is circular in Shape and on the south side there is a Shrine of Lord Ganesha.Facing West side is the Shrine for Ananthan.The door of the shrines always remains closeand the Idols can be viewed through a small slit in the wall.A lamp always glows inside round the clock and is gracefully called KEDAVILAKKUwhich means a Lamp that keeps glowing always round the clock.The Idols are excellent in Brass moulded with artistic perfection around the circular Walls of theTemple The Kerala temple Premises are well known for Cleanliness as people take perfect care to clean them every day. The Poornathrayeesa Temple is not an exception to this convention.The Local people take a lot of care about this. The Area of the Temple is around 5 Acres There are view Galleries on the South& West side. These were meant for the Royal Family members in the olden days to assemble in large numbers to view the Festivals and listen to various Classical& Artistic Performances. The Devotees & Worshippers visiting the Temple for Darshan have to observe a strict Dress code prevailing here.Men are expected to wear the Traditional Mundu( Dhothi and accompanying Angavastrams.The womenSaris& Chooridars.Wearing of Western dress is not allowed inside the Temple.Some Temples in Kerala allow Trouser to wear inside the Temple But never Shirts & Vests while entering the Restricted Areas. There are two main Festivals here ONAM& the other in November which lasts for 8 days. The Athachamayam In the beginning of the Agricultural Festival of Onam is colorful in Many respects.Earlir days the Procession of Athachamayam used to proceed upto Thrikkakkara another Mahakshetram of Vishnu in the form of Vamana. The festival in November called Vrishchikotsava is famous for the Crowd and the whole Town gears up one week in advance with a view to making the event a big success. The Festival turns into a village fair with much decorations on the Road sides and ] archesWith glorious illumination. The main attraction of the festival is the Seeveli.It is the procession of Caprisoned Elephantscarrying the Idol atop.14-15 Elephants Get lined up for this event& indeed it is a spectacular show of Temple festivals in Kerala. Another important Festival is the Temple fire Utsav.This festival is of recent origin to remember a big fire that engulfed theTemple years ago. The Abode of Mahavishnu here is considered to be an Important Holy Place for Hindus The Birth Star of the God is Uthram.on this day thousands of people gather here . There is Lakshminarayana Vilakku on this day which has been brought out in earlier paragraphs. The main attraction on this day is the Annadanam meant for over 35 to 40,000 people. It would not be complete if I don't mention about an old Baniyan Tree in front of the Temple which was existing for more than 400 years.It was fell & no more since a few days back.A sacred & befitting Funeral was offered to the Old tree & in it's place a new Spling was planted. So to conclude ,the Poornathrayeesa Temple is one of the Mahakshetrams of Kerala & is worth visiting on a pilgrimage. The Temple is very near to the Famous city of ERNAKULAM.There are enormous means of Transport s to reach the Place from Ernakulam. So next time when you are in Kerala make it convenient to pay a visit to this magnificent Temple of Cultural& Artistic importance.. AUM MAHAVISHNU NAMA: SreedharanMundanat Thursday,August 7,2014 at5-42AM(IST)

Maha Kshetrams of Kerala- Sree Padnabhaswamy Temple,Trivandrum

Sree PadmanabhaSwamy Temple is in Thiruvananthapuram,capital of the Kerala State. The Temple is situted inside the East Fort of Thiruvananthapuram. ' This Temple is one of the Most famous in India dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This Mahakshetram is a blend of Kerala&Dravidian style of Architecture. The History of this Temple dates as back as 8th CenturySree PadmanabhaSwamy Temple is one of the 108 sacred Vishnu Temples in India or to call better the Divyadesams in India. DivyaDesams are the HoliestAbodes of the Lord Vishnu Yhe Presiding Diety of this Mahakshetra is Lord Vishnu,reclining on Anantha,the Hooded Serpent. Marthanda Varma,the noted king among the Travancore Kingsdid a major renovation to the Temple resulting in the Present Day Structure we are seeng&Worshipping daily at the Sree PadmanabhaSwamy Temple. It was this King Marthanda Varma who introduced Muralapam&Bhadradeepam festivals in the Temple. Murajapam literally means continous Chanting of Prayers.This is still being conducted once in every six years. In 1750,Marthandavarma dedicated the Kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha Swamy. Martyhanda Varma vowed that the Royal family would rule the State on behalf of Lord and he& his descendants would serve the Kingdom as Padmanabha Swamy Dasa or the servant of Lord Padmanabha.Sice then, the name of every Travancore King was preceded by the titlePadmanabha Dasa.The donation of the Kingdom of Travancore to PadmanabhaSwamy was known as Thripadidanam. Thiruvanantha puram ,the capital city of Kerala takes the name from the presiding Diety of the Sree PadmanabhaSwamy Temple who is also known as Anantha. Anantha carries the meaning "One who reclines on the serpent Anantha.The name Thiruvananthapuram literally means "The land of Sree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy. Sreepadmanabhaswamy Temple as per belief is located at a place that is considered as One of the Seven Parasuramakshetras.References of this great Temple exists in Puranas like Skandapurana& Padmapurana.The Temple is situated very close to the Padmatheertham a holy Tank of theTemple. The meaning ofPadmatheertham is "Lotus Spring" The Shrine is being run by a trust headed by The erstwhile Royalfamily of Travancore. The Idol ofthe Presiding Diety OfvtheSree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is famous for it's composition Which Has 12008 SALAGRAMAMSWhich were brought from Nepai taken fromthe banks of Gandhaki. The Garbhagriha or the Sanctom Sanctorum of sree padmanabhaSwamy Temple located on a stone Slab and the MainIdol which is about 18 feet long can be seen from three different Doors.The Head & Chest can be seen from the first door,While the hands can be sighted through the second door and the feet through theThird Door. The Architecture of the Temple: The Temple Architecture is outstanding for its work in stone&bronze. The inyeriors of the Temple are adorned by beauriful paintings&murals.some of them are those of the life size imagesof Lord Vishnuin the recliningposture.Narasimhaswamy(half Lion&half man incarnation of Lord Vishnu)Lord Ganapathy&Gajalakshmi.The Temple has a Dhuaja Stambha(Kodimaram or Flagpost) that is about 80 feet high &is covered with \ Goldplated copper sheets. The Temple also has some more interesting structural features in the form of BALI PEEDA MANDAPAM&MUKTHA MANDAPAM.These are halls decorated with beautiful sculptures of various Hindu DDieties.Another sculpture that captures attention here is the Navagriha Mandapa,the ceilings of which displaysthe Navagrihas(The Nine Planets). Broad Corridor with 365 &1/4 sculptured Granites stone pillars extending from the eastern side into the Sanctom Sanctorum is a broad Corridor which also has a 365&1/4 sculptured granite stonepillars with beautiful carvings.There is a Ground Floor below under the main entrance in the eastern side which is known as Nataka Saala where Kerala's classic art form,the KATHAKALI is performed during the annual ten day festival at the Temple held during the Malayalam months of MEENAM&THULAM. The worship and daily Poojas in this great Temple is from morning 3-30 to 12-00 noon and again from evening 5-00PM to 7-20 PM. The morning hours of visit are too long.But this is necessary because one can not have Darshan&rerturn quickly as thev Darshan would bre complete only if one spends a minimum of 3 to 4 hours in the Temple. Good news for Devotees&Worshippers visiting the Temple is that there is Free Annadanam daily in the Temple after 11-00AM for every one who visits the T%emple as is being held at Guruvayoor&Thirupathy. This attempt to write a few words on this Great Mahakshetram would not be complete or near Completion unless a Legend on the Origin of the Temple is remembered. The LEGEND goes like this: Villwamangalath Swamiyar who was residing near the Ananthapuram Temple neart Kasaegod prayed to Lord Vishnu for his Darshan.The Lord came in disguise as a small,mischievous boyThe boy defiled the Saligrama which was kept for Pooja.The teasing was in force since many centuries as is evident from what the boy-cum-God did.The Swamiyar got terribly annoyed ,enraged at the boy&chased him away.The Boy disappeared.After a long search,he was found to be walking on the Arabian Sea.The Swamiyar heard a Pilaya Lady threatening her child saying that she would throw away the Boy in Ananthankaadu. The moment the Swamiyar heard the word Ananthan Kaadu,he was delighted.He proceded to Ananthan Kaadu based on the direction from the Pulaya Lady. The Swamiyar reached Ananthan Kaadu searching for the Boy merging into the form of an Indian Butter Tree.

Yhe Tree is stated to have fell down in front of the Villwamangalam Swamiyar& turned into "Ananthsayanam"(Vishnu reclining on Anantha) But the Lord was of an Extraordinary Large size with Head at Thriruvallam,Navel at Thiruvananthapuram,and Lotus feet at Thrippadapuram(Thrippappur) The Swamiyar requested the Lord to shrink to a smaller proportion-thrice the length of his staff. Though the Lord shrank to a smaller size the entire figure consisting Face,Body& feet were not simultaneously visible to the eyes of the Swamiyar as the trunks of the trees were obstructing the view fully. In fact the Swamiyar saw the Lord in three Parts,THIRUMIGHAM,THIRUVUDAL,and THRIPADAM HE PRAYED lORD TO FORGIVE HIM.This place where the Swamiyar had Darshan of Lord is calledKoopakkara Potti. There still exists a temple with this name. Besides,the Ananthankaadu Nagaraja Temple still exists to the northwest of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.There is a Villwamangalam SreeKrishna Temple also managed by Naduvil Madham of Thrissur. Now of late the Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple became World famous not only of the Divine nature of the Temple alone but as a result of discovering enormous wealth on opening hiddem rooms in the Temple. As the Supreme Court is involved in relation to deciding the ownership of the wealth ,it is not worth discussing this in this Blog at this time.A decision is awaited. It is enough for the time being for all devotees to know that the sreePadmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the Most wealthy Temples in the World. SREE PADMANABHA SWAMY SARANAM.ANANTHAKRISHNAYA NAMA! SreedharanMundanat,6th August 2014, 08-57AM

Mahakshetrams of Kerala-Shri Vadakkumnathan Temple

Thrissur has a rich& vast History.The cultural Heritage& Archaelogical wealth of Thrissur have made it to be knownas the Cultural Capital of Kerala From ancient times this part of Kerala called Thrissur District has played a significant role in the political& Cultural History of South India.Many Rulers & Dynasties like Zamorins of Kozhikode,Tipu sultan of Mysore and Europians including Dutch and the British have had a hand in moulding the Destiny,Characterand cultural history of this District& Thrissur Region. Raja Raja Varma popularly known as Shakthan Thampuran was the real architect of Thrissur Town. Thrissur is also known as Trichur which is the anglicized version of THRISSUR and this is the abbreviated form Of Thri-siva-perur which means the Abode of Lord Shiva. Thrissur District has played a significant role in the History of South India from pre- Historic period to Modern times.Scholars assign the age of the Megalithic monuments found in various parts of the district to a period ranging from the third century B.C to The First century A.D or even earlier. The district played very important role in developing trade relations between Kerala and outside world in the ancient and medieval periods SHRI VAKKUMNATHAN TEMPLE: Sree Vadakkum Nathan Temple is also known as Dakshina Kailasam.This is the first Siva Temple stated to have been created by Lord Parasurama.Shiva the Diety of this Temple is called Vadakkumnathan.The Temple is the and in the Heart of the Thrissur city. The Temple is surrounded by a massive and classic stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres. Inside this fortification there are four Gopuramsin the four directions North,South,East&West.Besides these Gopurams,there is more importantly the Multishrined complex in the centre with three principal shrines dedicated to Lord Paramasiva or Vadakkumnathan,Sankaranarayana , Rama and Lord Vettekkaran(Shiva in the form of Hunter) is also worshipped within the Nalambalam enclosure. In the northern side there is a circular structure with the Diety Shiva facing west. The figure of Shivaparvathi faces East and is just behind Shiva in the same Shrine.The two storied shrine of SreeRama facing west is located in the south.Between these two shrikovils stand a third one,circular&doublestoried in shape dedicated to Sankaranarayana &facing West.There are Mukhamandapams in front of all the three central Shrines. The idol of Shiva which is not visible,is covered under a mount of ghee,formed by the daily Abhisheka,with ghee over the years.After Abhisheka ,a portion of the ghee is returned to the devotees and they take it home with the belief that the Ghee has miraculous powers to cure all diseases.A devotee looking at the Sanctum now sees a thirteen feet high mount of Ghee embellished with thirteen cascading crescents of Gold and three serpent hoods at the top. According to traditional Belief,this represents the Snow-CladMount Kailas,the Abode of Parvathy and Parameswara. Outside Nalambalam there are ShrinesLordKrishna,Vrishabha,Parasurama,Simhodara,Dharmasastha,and AadiSankaracharya.Aadi Sankarais believed to have been born to the Sivaguru-Aryamba couple of Kalady in answer to the prayers before Vadakkumnathan as amsavathara.(incarnation)of the Lord.Legends have it that Shiva appeared to both Husband&Wife in their dreams and offered them a choice. A Mediocre son who would live a long Life,or an extraordinary son who would not live Long.Both Shivaguru&Aryamba are said to have been opted for the later choice. Thus the son was born.The son was named Sankara,in homour of Shiva. The Vadakkumnathan Temole is Unique not merly for the structure around .The Temple is also showing the unique features of Rituals&Poojas.The Temple is also famous&unique for the movements of Devotee/Worshipper from Sanctum to Sanctum.It has a uniqueness of it's own in the routine of Darshan procedure to be followed by worshippers.There is a notice board of directions to the devotee the ways to be followed during Darshan.This notice Board is available at the entrance to the Temple.Those who violate the methods knowingly are supposed to be denied of the benefits of Darshan by the Bhagvan Himself. Of Course these are all Beliefs of Hindus.For that matter every Religion including Islam&Christinity have their own beliefs based on which they are growing.After all everyreligions has been established based on belief&is still surviving on belief. BELIEF!!!I*S THAT NOT EVERYTHING ON WHICH HUMANITY SURVIVE!! The Temple opens everyday at 3-00AM&closes around 10-30AM.Again in the evening opens at 4-30PM &closes at 8-30PM after the final Pooja/rite THRIPPOKA. There are Murals at this Temple.They are very rare of their kind.The VASUKEEYAM and NRITHANATHA the two Murals are worshipped regularly. A large White Bullock on the Varandha of Nalambalam is also being worshipped regularly as a Diety called NANDIKESWARA> There is another Speciality/Peculiarity about the Temple worth mentioning.These are the specified speciality Spots for offering Salutations to LORD SIVA of KASI (KASI VISWANATHAN),Lord CHITHABARANATHA Of Chidambaram,Lord Shiva of Rameswaram,Sree Kali of Kodungallor,Urakam Ammathiruvadi,Lord Bharatha Of Koodal Manikyam,Irinjalakkuda,Sree Vyasa,SreeHanuman&Serpent Gods. So,Sree Vadakkumnatha Temple is an Ideal Place for Devotees to visit during the Ramayana Punya Maasam of July-August. There is a Temple Theatre known as KOOTHAMBALAM which has no parallel to cite anywhere in the World. The four Magnificent Gopurams and the Lofty mansonry Wall around the Temple Quadrangle are so imposing that they remain as unparellel Glorious pieces of Craftmanship& Skill. The LORD GANESH in the Temple is situatedfacing the Temple Kitchen and offering of Appam to MAHAGANAPATHYis one of the most popular& significant offering in the Temple of Vadakkumnathan.The devotees even consider Elephants here Lord Ganesh's incarnated & Elephants are being treated as a sacred animal& loved by everyone in Thrissur.It has become a regular practice at least during the last 20 years to perform the Ashta Dravya Mahaganapathy Havana & a ceremonial feeding of Elephants called ANAYOOT at the Temple every yearOn the first day of MalayalamMonth Karkidakam(mostly in July.Once in Four years Gajapooja is also being performed In the Temple. The VADAKKUMNATHAN TEMPLE is one of the oldest in South India according to Archaeologists . This Temple is the largest in Kerala dedicated to Lord Shiva.This Temple is a classical example of Kerala Style Of Architecture with beautiful Murals of the 17th CenturyDepicting classically & graphically the Story of Mahabharatha.The shrines& KOOTHAMBALAM exhibit a display of ExquisiteVignettes carved in wood. It is believed that Tipu Sultan had camped near this Temple with his Troops during the raid of Northern Kerala but spared this Temple from Destruction because for his Troops to cook food ,the vessels from the Temple were provided.As a rare expression of gratitude he did not destroy the Temple. The peculiarity of this Mahakshetram is that there is no specific festival for Vadakkumnathan. The important ceremony of this Temple is Shivarathri.But again as a speciality the idol of Vadakkumnathan is not taken out in procession . On the Thrikkarthika day the Special Pooja in Vadakkumnathan is conducted in the Southern Compound wall. It is believed that the Lord Vadakkumnathan would sit on the Compound wall looking for his wife Kumaranellor Kathiyani Devi returning in Procession after her Thrikkarthika Bath in the Meenachil River. It is also believed this was detected by Villwamangalam Swamiyar who on a Thrikkathika day on looking for Vadakkumnathan in his shrine could not find him& on search found him sitting on the Southern Compound wall. So it was Villwamangalam who started the Pooja in the South compound wall on the Day of Thrikkarthika. The World Famous Festival THRISSUR POORAM is ,however,held every year in the months of April& May.the festival Is supposed to be performed in a competition by the Paramekkavu Temple& Thiruvambadi Temple In THRISSUR. The Bhagavathy of Paramekkavu& Sreekrishna of Thiruvambadi participate in competition of the Festival. The Vadakkumnathan is not participating in the Festival & his Idol is not taken out in Procession. Vadakkumnathan is just an observer of the festival offered in his respect by these two Temples. The competition is existing in every aspects of the Pooram like Poojas,processions,Mela& most popularly the Fireworks. The THRISSUR Pooram is so famous that no introduction about it's conduct & success every year & no mention Is needed to make. However,the Elanjithara Melam,a two hour Chendavadyam with five instruments neart Koothambalam, by topmost artist in the state.The Caprisoned Elaphants assemble outside South Gupuraqm face to face.This scene is known as "Koodikkazhcha" of Paramekkavu&Thiruvambadi.TGhis is also accompanied by Panchavadyam by famous artists in Kerala. Later in the evening of the Pooram Day the most spectacular event of Kudamattom is staged in front of the South Gopuram.The Ornamental silken Parasols unfurled ,of several colours are changed competitively.It is an expression of popularfascination for sound&Color &because ofv the pageantry,it appeals to all people.For witnessing this event alone several people from all pparts of Kerala,India&abroad gather here Of late High tech Umbrellas are also being used for Kudamattom. The climaxc of the Festival is the xhibition of Thirty Elephants followed by world famous wSpectacular Fire works. at 2-30 AM next daty of the Pooram. Besides the history,rituals&festival about the Tjhrissur Pooram ,a few words about the importance of Thrissur is that The Pooram is the basic element behind the development of t6he City.The business in Thrissur flourish because of Pooram.Many people from the suburbs of Thrissur come daily to Thrissur for job.In other words many people in and around Thrissur depends upon the Pooram festival for their day today life. The Thrissur Temple has a reputation unlike other Temples that the Rituals &mehods here teach a system of organised Dicipline among prople. The Authority of Shree Vadakkumnathan is unquestionable and holds the final word as far as the system followed in the Temple. there are many unwritten rules®ulations that are being observed by everyone visiting the Temple. AUM NAMASIVAYA SreedharanNund 4th August,2014,