Temples had occupied a centre stage in the political vicissitudes of many a kingdom in the south, the erstwhile princely states of Travancore and Cochin being no exception.
The Koodalmanikyam temple at Irinjalakuda, a coastal town in Trichur district, first figured in the history of the two states about 700 years ago. This is the only temple in Kerala and probably in India dedicated to Bharatha, younger brother of Lord Sri Rama. Unlike most other temples, this one has no “subsidiary deities”.
Some hold the temple can claim origins dating back to pre-Kaliyuga days. It is said Sage Kuleepani, during one of his yagnas, saw an unusually bright halo in the holy fire. He construed this as an integral part of Purushothama (the noblest man, Lord Sri Rama), in whose honour the yagna was performed, the phenomenon itself symbolising the presence of Bharatha. A temple was reportedly built soon on this site. However, the widely accepted version puts the date of the temple’s establishment at around 1342 AD. Shortly thereafter, an old man from Kayamkulam, then a small principality north of Quilon, afflicted with a seemingly incurable stomach ache for which his well-wishers advised propitiation of Bharatha at the Irinjalakuda temple, visited it.
One day he noticed a blinding sheen emanating from the idol. Although it faded away immediately, it reappeared a day or two later. When the eerie spectacle repeated itself, devotees discussed the matter and decided to try, the next time the vision manifested, matching the precious stone called manikyam with the shining spot on the idol. The old man fetched this precious stone from the Raja of Kayamkulam, promising to return it intact within 41 days. When the stone thus brought was kept near the particular spot on the idol, it disappeared in a jiffy. The panic-stricken man duly reported the incident to the Raja, who, luckily, was content with certain administrative rights over the temple as a compensation for his loss. This authority the Raja enjoyed till 1750 AD or so, when with Marthanda Varma, the architect of Travancore, annexing his territory following a prolonged war, the right passed to Travancore. For decades, the appointment of thachudaya kaimal (temple administrator) continued to be the Travancore Raja’s prerogative.
However, the temple’s affairs continued as a bone of contention between the kings of Travancore and Cochin.
Some argue that the name Koodalmanikyam (koodal in Malayalam means merging) derives from the episode related above, a tale lacking credibility according to certain acknowledged authorities on Kerala history. Hard-core secularism, atheism, rationalism et al notwithstanding, religion and gods do have a vital role in giving society its content and complexion, and places of worship have had a hand in moulding the country’s culture to a large extent.