TRIPUNITHURA: While 78-old Uma Devi Antharjanam, the senior-most female member of Ekadashi Vadakkedathu Mana, received Sree Poornathrayeeshan, the presiding deity of Poornathrayeesha temple, the members of the family recalled the legend of Nangema connected to the Mana.
Nangema, a Namboothiri woman from Ekadashi Vadakkedathu Mana, offered nothing but her ardent love for her beloved deity. She had wholeheartedly accepted Sree Poornathrayeeshan as her better half. From time immemorial the family members have been commemorating this celestial communion by performing rituals.
Young and beautiful Nangema was not just another devotee of Sree Poornathrayeeshan. From childhood Nangema worshipped him ardently. She would start her day by visiting Sree Poornathrayeeshan with her maid. During her teens her parents fixed her marriage to a groom from far away. But Nangema could not leave her beloved God.
On the eve of her wedding day, Nangema as usual reached the temple with her maid. After entering the sanctum sanctorum she wept before her lord and expressed her feelings. Legend says that she heard a divine call asking her to leave her ornaments near the stairs leading to the sanctum sanctorum. Later her frame merged with that of the deity.
It is believed that every year on the 'Pooradam' star in the month Kumbham, Sree Poornathrayeeshan visits Vadakkedathu Mana and rituals are performed to mark this. This year also rituals were performed on Monday night.
The idol of the deity was taken in a procession to Vadakkedathu Mana accompanied by a caparisoned tusker and main priest of the temple, Haridasan Embranthiri. After placing the ‘'Thidambu'’ at the 'Vadakkini' of the Mana, Sankaran Namboothiripadu, the senior-most male member of the family, conducted the initial pujas. Uma Devi Antharjanam offered delicious food and tender coconut for the deity.
After completing the rituals Vasudevan Valiya Moothathu, the traditional temple trustee, presented the ‘pudava’ to the successor of Nangema to strengthen the timeless bond between the family and Sree Poornathrayeeshan. Uma circumambulated the idol after which the temple trustee sought permission to leave, according to tradition.