Thirumoozhikkulam Sree Lakshmana Perumal Temple

Visited this evening a very interesting temple where Lakshmana Perumal is the main moolavar. What a timing. We reached there at 6 PM thinking that the Mangala Haarathi is a 630 per website. But right when we enter the temple the Mangala Haarathi has started as though they were waiting just for us. We considered this as a blessing.

All houses in the street where PerumaaL purappaadu is coming ladies in traditional kerala dress lit the lamp and keep outside the house welcoming PerumaaL.

In pasurams of Nammalvar and Thirumangaialwar, Thirumoozhikkulam Lakshmana Perumal is refered as Moozhikkalattappan and Tayar (Mahalakshmi) as Madhuraveni Naachiyaar.

The mythology behind the name of this place goes like this. Hareetha Maharshi did penance and meditation on the banks of river Poorna(Periyar). Lord Mahavishnu got impressed by the dedication of the Maharshi and appeared before him on the beginning of the Kali yuga. Lord Vishnu gave some advices to Hareetha Maharshi to overcome the difficulties in Kali yuga. These advices are called "thiru mozhi" meaning sacred words. And there after this place got its name as "thirumozhi kalam" – kalam means place. Later Thirumozhikkalam became Thirumoozhikkulam.

The temple was sacked by during Tippus invation, like the temple at Thiruvanjikkulam. The image of the presiding deity is in a damaged state . A silver kavacham or armour was made as a covering for the image; however soon after installation of the kavacham an attempt was made to steal it. Afterwards a Devaprasnam was conducted, which insisted that the Perumal wanted to be in that state only, he didn't want to hide the damage or replace the original idol. Since then it stays like that.

History and Legend:

This shrine is associated with legends from the Ramayana. Bharata, the brother of Rama and Lakshmana, came to invite Rama, then in exile, to take over the reins of the kingdom, an angry Lakshmana suspecting Bharata's intentions intended to kill him; however, Bharata's innocence was very soon revealed, and then the two of them offered worship together at Tirumoozhikkalam. The name Tirumoozhikalam is said to have originated from the phrase tiru mozhi kalam the site where sweet words were uttered.

Another belief is that at the end of the Dvapara Yuga, Dvaraka was swallowed by the sea and four idols of Sreerama, Bharatha, Lakshmana and Shathrukhna which Lord Sree Krishna worshipped, were also washed into the sea. Some fishermen subsequently caught these four idols near Thriprayar and they were given to Vakkay Kaimal, Naduvazhi. Vakkay Kaimal, had a dream one night in which some mysterious person appeared before him and told him that four idols have been washed ashore and that these idols are to be consecrated at such and such places. They were duly installed in four temples as directed in the dream. Rama at Thriprayar. Bharata at Irinjalakuda, Lakshmana at Moozhikkulam and Sathrughna at Payammal. It is believed that worship at all these four temples on the same day is especially meritorious. In the Malayalam month of Karkidakam (July 15 to August 15) - the Ramayana Masam, thousands of devotees do this special pilgrimge, which is popularly known as "Nalambalam Yatra" - a pilgrimage to the four temples.