Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple
March 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, Pilgrimmage
Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple – Kottayam
This historically famous temple is one of the legends of Kerala. Sage Khara was an ardent devotee of lord Shiva. His piety was such that he installed the Shivalinga not at one but three highly venerated temples – Ettumanoor, Vaikom and Kaduthuruthy. It is believed that having the darshan (praying) at these three temples on the same day is an act of great karma (good deed). Among these three shrines, Ettumanoor shines out as a place where Khara, Vyasa and Shiva got mental peace.
The story goes like this… Khara had an extremely poor but devoted disciple called Pingala. Pingala at the end of his education, asked his master for the gurudakshina (offering done to the teacher). Khara asked for 10,000 crore gold coins. Pingala was completely shattered. Seeing his disciple disturbed, he suggested him to do severe penance to get 10,000gild coins from God. Pleased with their perseverance, Lord Vishnu manifested and granted them 10,000 crore gold coins. At this happy moment Lord Shiva also appeared and granted him 10,000 crore gold coins. Khara and Pingala got extremely happy and Pingala left the Gurukul with the blessings of his guru (teacher).
Khara resumed his meditation and returned all the riches saying that all wealth in the world is not as valuable as the mere presence of the Lord. Pleased by Khara’s words of wisdom, Shiva granted him a Shivalinga, the same one that is now worshipped in the temple of Ettumanoor.