Kalamassery Mahaganapathy Temple () is a Hindu temple in
North Kalamassery dedicated to
Ganapathy
Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions are found throughout India. Hind ...
(Ganesha).
History
The temple was built in 1981 by late Mr. N Reghunatha Menon, a prominent and pious person who lived in the town of Kalamassery. For a large period of time the temple existed as a basic concrete structure and housed the shrines of Ganapathy, Subramanian and Navagrahas only. In the year 2000 Menon embarked on a project to build additional shrines for other Gods and Goddesses and also renovate the temple with traditional architecture. Menon died the following year, after which the management of the temple passed onto the hands of his children. The children continued further renovation of the temple, and also set up the Mahaganapathy Temple Trust which would manage the temple. At present the temple is a very popular center of worship for people living in and around Kalamassery, and several festivals and events are conducted throughout the year.
Temple structure
The temple has a simple construction with the original shrines of Ganapathy and Subramanian (
Kartikeya
Kartikeya (/Sanskrit phonology, kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda (Sanskrit phonology, /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/Sanskrit phonology, sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha (Sanskrit phonology, /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan ...
) (along with the
Navagraha
The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( "nine") and ''graha'' ( "planet, seizing, laying hold of, holding"). The nine part ...
) housed inside two concrete structures located side by side facing west.
Between these two shrines is located the stairs leading to the more recent elevated structure which houses the shrines of other deities. These shrines, added in 2000, are dedicated to
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
,
Parvathi,
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
,
Dakshinamurthi and
Chandikeshwara.
The entire building covers an area of around ; there are no outer walls. There is a
Peepal
''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...
tree in front of the Ganapathy shrine. The temple complex includes a ground behind the building.
The busy
Eloor
Eloor is a suburb of Kochi and a municipality in Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala, India. It is an industrial area situated around north of the city centre. It is an island of 14.21 km2 formed between two d ...
-
Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It is located around northeast of the city centre.
Kalamassery is a major hub for industrial and Information Technology, IT activities in Kochi. In ...
road runs just in front of the temple. The space from the temple's front and the road is so short (around 30 feet) that it has earned the deity the nickname of 'Road-side Ganapathy'.
Events
It has been the regular annual practice at the Mahaganapathy temple for the last 20 years to conduct a large-scale ''Ashta Dravya Maha Ganapathy Havana'' and ''
Aanayoottu'' on the first day of the Karkkidakom month of the
malayalam calendar
The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam.
There are many theories regarding the origin of t ...
. The devotees refer to elephants as Ganapathy's incarnation. ''Gajapooja'' (worship of elephants) also is conducted once every four years.
[http://www.kottayamtemples.com/vadakkunnatha.php]
See also
*
Temples of Kerala
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
References
External links
Satellite image of Kalamassery Mahaganapathy temple(Full screen)
{{Hindu temples in Kerala
Hindu temples in Ernakulam district
Ganesha temples
Tourist attractions in Ernakulam district