Manas of Kerala

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Vaidyamadam

Vaidyamadom is a great Ashtavaidya family. This is the only family in Kerala which belongs to Bharadwajeeya group. This family was brought over here by the renowned Mezhatole Agnihotri who is credited with conducting about 100 Soma Yagas (Soma Yaga is a spiritual and Vedic ritual participated by scores of Thantries and prolonging to several days non-stop ceremonies conducted for the welfare of the mankind in which only highly learned Thantries are eligible to participate). In Soma Yagas the Vaidyamadom family is honoured as Sala Vaidya. Sala Vaidya is a highly honoured status whose responsibility is mainly to upkeep the health of Yaga participants apart from performing Thantric rites in the Yaga.

Among Ashtavaidya families, Vaidyamadom has a crowning position. They are born Ashtavaidyars. Their family-name, Vaidyamadom, itself is born out of Vaidya (treatment). Madom denotes centre or abode. Where there areYagas the members of Vaidyamadom are there as they have super knowledge in this specific and intricated field. There are different types of Yagas, all aimed at the well-being of the mankind, all of which require the services of scrores of Yaga-learned Thantries and scrores of days and is a non-stop process. Vaidyamadom imparts knowledge of Vedas to the interested and many have come out from here as Vedic experts.

Lord Dhakshinamoorthy (Lord Shiva in meditation) is the family deity of the Vaidyamadom. They start the day only after the prayers and worshipping of the family god.

There are so many stories which gained ground about the extra-ordinary skills of the Physicians of the family and their ability to turn the impossibles to possibles. Just one example cited here. A woman in the ancient ruling family was in delivery pains. The pain prolonged to an unusual length. The worried family tried out many Physicians in quick succession but for no avail. Incidentally, a member of Vaidyamadom happened to be there at that painful moment. He requested the King (the husband of the pain-eating pregnant lady) that he may please be permitted to try his hand. The King consented. He then plucked some herbal leaves from the Palace courtyard and made them paste by squeezing with fingers. He prepared two types of pastes and applied each on each side of a small wooden board. Then the attending Aya (mid-wife) was instructed to expose one side of the board to the vagina of the queen. Few minutes later the queen delivered a male baby. Immediately on delivery the Aya was directed to reverse the board and expose it to the vagina to forbid the womb and other internal organs coming out which may cause death. Nothing untoward happened. The excited King named the new born “Pareekshith” (experiment). This incident alone amplifies the skill of Vaidyamadom in Ayurveda sceience.

The list of dignitaries who experienced the skill of Vaidyamadom is bulging day by day. Eminent foreign nationals, political leaders, corporate bigwigs, civil and foreign administrative stalwarts are some among them. State of the art facilities are there for rejuvenation or treatment. The present head of the family has wrapped the Vaidyasala (treatment centre) in modern outfit.

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Vezhamparambu Mana

Centuries back Paravoor King invited two Brahmin twins from Puliyannur in Kannur district and entrusted Thantric charge of Peruvaram Mahadeva temple. The Paravoor King and the King of Alangot were not in good terms. Alangot King employed all the methods at his command to destroy Paravoor King but proved no use. At last he resorted to black magic and an evil force “Krithika” was sent to Paravoor King to finish him. The Brahmin twins had an intuition of what was going to happen and they forced by their Thantric power Krithik to return. The place where the twins confronted the evil force is known as Perumkulangarakavu.

The King of Cochin invited one of the twins to Thripunithura to take charge of the Thantric rites of Thripunithura Poornathrayeesha temple. The younger of the twins went to Thripunithura and settled there and his Mana came to be known as Thripunithura Puliyannur Illam.

The elder of the twins settled in Karumaloor, near Paravoor and his Mana came to be known as Vezhamparambu Mana. Vezhamparabu Mana is highly famous for Thantric rites, Vasthu Sastra (ancient science of architecture which is still prevalent in Kerala), architecture and astrology. The Thantric rites’ right of almost all temples in Paravoor region, barring few, is vested on Vezhamparambu Mana. The Mana has a number of feats to its credit. Bringing rain during drought through Yaga and entering into talks with evil spririts, including Yemen (Yemen is one who snatches away the life from the body, according to Hindu mythology) are few among them.

The front region of the Mana is known as Manakpadi (the gate of Mana). The Mana is located in a large compound, having few temples, snake shrines, temple ponds, centuries old giant trees and the like. Stepping into this Mana gives a special effect to the mind and a leisure walk in the large comnpound and the corridors of the structures of the Mana uncovers a lively and lovely experience.

A member of the Mana once confronted Yemen and his company when he understood that his life would be ended within the period of a Mandalam (41 days). The Yemen advised him to construct a Vishnu temple within 41 days to get relieved of his sins. He constructed the temple within the stipulated time.

The Mana has a large library of Palm-leaf scriptures containing Thantric science, Ayurveda science and other ancient sciences and ancient literature and details of numerous art forms.

Recently died Brahmasree Parameswaran Namboodiripad was a towering personality who led the Mana to a greater glory. He was instrument for architecture reforms and Thantric updating in over 500 temples. Kollur Mookambika temple, Northern Guruvayoor temple at Delhi, Thaliparambu Rajarajeswara temple, Kadambuzha Bhagawathy temple, Siddhaputhoor Ayyappa temple, Thirumanthamkunnu Bhagawathy temple and Chottanikkara Bhagawathy temple include in them. The present torch bearer of the Mana is V P Narayanan Namboodiripad who assiduously keeps up the tradition in all fields for which the Mana is f amous from centuries back.

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Kondamarugu Mana

The legend says that the ancient heads of Kondamarugu Mana and Changazhasseri Illam and the head Marar of Kuduk Tharavad (family) ventured out on a pilgrimage. When they reached Ambika Vanam of Kudajadri the Namboodiri of Kondamarugu Illam prayed to Mookambika Devi for the welfare of his region. When the Namboodiri returned home he felt the presence of Mookambika Devi. The Mana constructed a temple and installed the idol of Devi and started worshipping. Rakthachamundi, Rakteswari, Sreevidya, Bhairavan, Yakshi, Chathan and Serpent are sub-deites here. There is a Satrugna Swami shrine near the temple.

The Namboodiri of the Mana conducts black magic and Thantric rites in the presence of Porkala Devi. The number of people coming to this Mana for the solutions of their hurting problems is swelling day by day. All the visitors return home with pleasant mood.