Pancha pandava kshetras inKerala.

There are 5 temples in and around Chenganacheri that are known as Pancha pandava Kshetras.The pandavas have consecrated and worshipped the deities enshrined in these temples and have also performed prayashchitam ceremonies and penance for the deceit they were called to play in the Mahabharata war.

After reaching Chenaganacheri and unloading at the govt hotel we visited two temples that evening itself.

The first being Thiruvanvadoor .

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Maha Vishnu smiled from the inner sanctum and as dusk fell the birds calling each other was distinctly audible and added to the beauty of the place.The spiritual experience was wonderful in that quiet moment for myself.

Moolvar 's name is Kamalanathan and the sthala belief is that in ancient times Sage Narada did a severe tapas and was rewarded with a boon of acquiring and disseminating logical knowledge , from MahaVishnu.Naradiya puranam with 25,000chapters was written by Narada in here. It establishes the primacy of Maha Vishnu and delineates the mode of worship.

According to puranas Nakhulan conscreted the deity enshrined within.

Thiruvalla or Vallabha Kshetram ,

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This was the other temple that could be made that evening itself.We were in time for the evening arti.Two priests who were reciting slokas and meditating at front of the deity completed their prayer and walked in to show the arti.

The charming face of the deity and line of oil lamps flickering like golden beads heightened the moment, that was accompanied by blowing of conch and beating of drums .An young man attached to the temple [not a brahmin] sang several devotional songs .Several women in the traditional off white sari --mundu were offering their prayers.

Also saw the famous sudarshana chakra enshrined behind the moolavar.It is a large temple .

Moolavars name is Kolapiran

The sthala belief is that Kandakarna ,who was originally a devotee of Siva on Siva's advise started meditating on Ashtakara mantra--'om namo narayana' and attained moksham in this place.

Vibhuti and not tulsi is the prasad

This is also a divya desam but is not a pancha pandava kshetram.

Note.The mention of non- brahmin is deliberate.It is to dispel the notion that Kerala brahmin priests continue to be very orthodox.Though they were till the early part of the past century more so in this temple .This was brought to my attention by the cab driver who pointed out the fact of this temple having two dwajastambhams.The one on the outside the temple was for lower castes to offer their obesiesnce in earlier centuries.