Thrikkakkara

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Thrikkakkara (थ्रिक्ककरई) is a region in the city of Kochi, as well as a municipality in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala, India.

Variants

• Thrikkarai (थ्रिक्ककरई) (केरल) (AS, p.420)

Origin

The name Thrikkakkara is an evolved pronunciation of the word Thiru Kaal Kara, meaning the place of the holy foot. This connects to the tale behind the festival of Onam, by which, this is the place on which Lord Vamana set his foot to push down Mahabali to the 'lower world' Patalam. There is a place named Patalam about 20 km from this place in the same district.

History

Following from the legend of Onam, Thrikkakkara is home for the associated shrine, the Thrikkakara Temple, where the deity enshrined is Vamana. It is one of the very few Vamana temples in India. Thrikkakara temple is considered to be the center of Onam celebrations worldwide.

Thrukkakkara was in Travancore state, 61 naduvazhis jointly organise the Onam festival under the leadership of the Maharaja of Travancore. Ananthapadmanabhan, the title holder is Chempil Arayan Ananthapadmanabhan Valiya Arayan, participated the festival with the Maharaja of Travancore.

Thrikkakara Temple

Thrikkakara Temple (also referred as Thirukatkarai is one of the few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana. It is situated in Thrikkakara, Kochi in the state of Kerala, South India. It is located around 10 km north east of the city center between Thrissur-Ernakulam highway (NH 47).

Legend

The Bhagavata Purana describes that Vishnu descended as the Vamana avatar to restore the authority of Indra over the heavens, as it had been taken by Bali, a benevolent Asura King. Bali was the grandson of Prahlada, the son of Virochana. King Bali was generous, and engaged in severe austerities and penance and won the praise of the world. With the praise from his courtiers and others, he regarded himself as the all powerful in the world.

Vamana, in the guise of a short Brahmin carrying a wooden umbrella, went to the king to request three paces of land. Bali consented, against the warning of his guru, Sukracharya. Vamana then revealed his identity and enlarged to gigantic proportions to stride over the three worlds. He stepped from heaven to earth with the first step, from earth to the netherworld with the second. King Bali, unable to fulfill his promise, offered his head for the third.

Vamana then placed his foot and gave the king immortality for his humility. In worshiping Mahabali and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded sovereignty of Rasatala. Some texts also report that Vamana did not step into the Rasatala, and instead gave its rule to Bali and granting him the boon to become the next Indra. This act of Vamana is to be conceived as destroying the ego of Bali and from then on Bali became Mahabali.In giant form, Vamana is known as Trivikrama. The legend is associated with the temple and also with Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tirukoyilur and Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram.

थ्रिक्ककरई

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...थ्रिक्ककरई (AS, p.420) कोचीन (केरल) से 6 मील की दूरी पर स्थित ताल वृक्षों से आच्छादित छोटा-सा ग्राम है। किन्तु जनश्रुति के अनुसार एक समय प्राचीन केरल की यहाँ राजधानी थी। कहा जाता है कि पुराणों में प्रसिद्ध पाताल देश के राजा महाबली यहीं राज्य करते थे और वामन भगवान ने इनसे तीन पग धरती मांगने के बहाने समस्त पृथ्वी का राज्य ले लिया था। 'थ्रिक्ककरई' में वामन का एक अति प्राचीन मंदिर है। केरल के जातीय त्योहार ओणम के दिन यहाँ पर वामन देव की पूजा की जाती है। ग्राम से थोड़ी ही दूरी पर स्थित एक पथरीली गुफ़ा है। एक लोक कथा के अनुसार यहाँ राजा महाबली का शस्त्रागार था। यह भी कहा जाता है कि थ्रिक्ककरई में पांडवों को जलाने के लिए कौरवों ने लाक्षागृह बनवाया था। इस दूसरी अनुश्रुति में कोई तथ्य नहीं जान पड़ता, क्योंकि लाक्षागृह जिस स्थान पर बनवाया गया था, उसका नाम महाभारत के अनुसार वारणावत था, जो ज़िला मेरठ, उत्तर प्रदेश में स्थित [p.421]: 'वरनावा' है। महाभारत से ज्ञात होता है कि वारणावत हस्तिनापुर, ज़िला मेरठ से अधिक दूर नहीं था।