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The Thiruvallakavu Navratri Festival is a day much awaited by children and adults alike in Kerala- God’s own country. The auspicious festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and spans for nine days, ending the celebrations and vigour with the final day of Vijayadasami.
This last day is celebrated in Kerala in its own unique way- witnessing the auspicious day of Vijayadasami, a spiritual day in one hundred and eight Durga temples of Kerala. The Keralites prefer to instil their own values of education, offerings and worship of domestic animals, vehicles etc- in their celebrations.
On this day, they worship Goddess Saraswati and students keep their books in front of her idol for two days along with other offerings such as sugarcane, jaggery etc. On the tenth day of this celebration, a special puja is done after which the books are taken back, and other items such as domestic animals, instruments etc are worshipped by the Keralites.
A temple in the Thrissur district of Kerala called Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple plays host to the festivities of this nine-days celebrations every year and has become a landmark for some of the most memorable ceremonies and traditions. The celebration is obviously blended with Kerala’s own local culture and a taste of the same by any passing tourist, is indeed a soulful experience.
Date: 29 September 2019 to 08 October 2019.
Venue: Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Thrissur, Kerala.
You can easily reach the temple by travelling on Thrissur-Irinjalakkuda route. Thrissur is well connected to all the nearby cities. The nearest railway station to Thiruvullakkavu is Thrissur Railway Station which is around 10km away from the place. The nearest airport is Kochi (Nedumbassery) International Airport which is 40km away from here. The nearest bus station is Thrissur Bus Station, about which is about 9.4 Km away from the temple.
Although, there are other temples in Kerala that are devoted to Lord Ayyappa, it is said that many famous poets and writers have entered the world of letters from Thiruvullakkavu Temple, and unlike other Ayyappa temples, Vidyarambham is the most important festival in Kerela. The temple is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Kerala and is widely known as the ‘abode of wisdom’ by devotees and others.
The Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappan, the Hindu God of Growth and every year, thousands of Keralites flock to the temple on the day of Vijayadasami, to seek his blessings. The day can be witness by any passing tourist, as a resemblance of Kerala’s own culture and values. People in traditional attires, like lungi and saree, visit the temple with their children to formally introduce them to the values of knowledge and education. The famous Vidyarambham ritual held in the temple is a clear indication of the same.
Literally, Vidya means ‘knowledge’ and arambhan means ‘beginning’, hence as the name suggests, the ceremony marks the formal introduction of children to the learning of music, dance, languages and other folk arts. It also involves a ceremony of initiation into the characters of the syllabary. In Tamil Nadu, the ritual is known as “Mudhal Ezhathu” and “Khadi Chuan” in Odisha.
For the same purpose, the ceremony begins as early as 4 am and involves rituals like ‘Ezhuthiniruthu’, which involve the acharya outlining the words “Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namaha” on the tongue of young children between the age of 3 to 5 years. These words symbolize the name of God and are inscribed with a golden ring to seek the grace of Saraswathi- the Goddess of Learning and thus nudge them into the world of knowledge.
This is also considered a day when the Goddess of learning and teachers (gurus) must be revered by giving Gurudakshina ( an offering of gratitude). This usually consists of a Areca nut, betel leaf, paired with a small token of money and a new piece of clothing – a dhoti or saree.
The children are also made to write mantra ‘Om Hari Sri Ganapataye Namah’ on sand or a plate of rice as a symbol of gaining knowledge that will lead to prosperity. This ritual is conducted under the supervision of a guru or a priest. After this, the Guru writes the same mantra on the tongue of the child with gold. After the completion of the ceremony, stationery items like slates and pencils are distributed to other children by the child who performed the Vidyarambham rituals.
The process of learning and initiation on this day is also closely related to the Ayudha Puja ritual. It is usually on Vijayadashami that the implements kept for puja are taken up again for re-use. Devotees carry the belief that if a child starts his first lesson of alphabets at the Vidyarambham ritual, he/she will go on to become a scholar. This belief unites thousands in a desire for knowledge and truth on this auspicious occasion.
In this atmosphere of learning and sharing of knowledge, poets including the likes of Alankode Leelakrishnan, Manambur Rajanbabu, P.K. Gopi. Madhavan Puracheri and Girija Pathekkara and other literary stalwarts present their works. The ceremony truly provides a platform for everyone to grow and learn important values from each other.
Although, Vidyarambham or Ezhuthibiruthu was initially marked as a festival celebrated by the Hindu to seek Goddess Sarawati’s blessings and venture into the world of knowledge, it has now become a day that is welcomed by people of all religions and castes.
Now, people in Kerala, irrespective of their religion, follow the tradition of writing mantras on sand and making offerings to the Goddess of knowledge, and hence leave their own mark in this journey of learning.
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April 15, 2024 
