Chelakkara ganapathi

Chelakkara ganapathi

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

 

   The temple in my native plave chelakkara is a  Narasimha murthy temple facing east.On the  right nand corner wall , there  are statues  of Ganesa   and lord Ayyappa. There walls are  enclosed in a small  temple (they  are not consecrated  there)   ,

   The ganaparthy  temple in side  the chelakkara  temple was  extremely  important for all  the 108  homes chelakkara  agraharam .Now about   10  brahmin families  live there.

   Every  individual member  of the village  would pray  this Ganapathy  for success of   their venture , examination, marriage  proposals etc , normally  they used to pray “we will break 108 coconuts  in front of of our Ganapathy  and these  coconuts  were  be distributed one per house  . AS soon as  the coconut  breaking starts , one representative  of each house  will  rush to the temple  .It is not exaggeration to say  that almost  every week , every home  in chelakkara used to  get a coconut free

 

   Realizing  the greatness  of  that  Ganapathy, long baxck  the people of the village  started  ganapathi homam.Almost  on all  important days  there  would l be a  ganapathi homam in the temple , in thehoma kundam inside the  temple

 

    Slowly  one by one   the Brahmin  families  started  leaving chelakkara .Most of them initially  went to Mumbai  and they  are organized  a chelakkara association there .starngely more   than 200  families  which migrated from chelakkara settled  down near palghat town. They formed an association called  Chelakkara friends association  and  being not far  off from chelakkara   this association started  the upkeep of their temple  , and performing   the ganapathi homam  for their Ganapathi. Initially  it was 108 coconuts, later  it became  1008 coconuts and recently 10008 coconuts.  They  built a huge homa kundam in the temple

The friends  from Palakad  travel to Chelakkara the previous night along   with coconuts. They start taking bath  and breaking the coconuts so that , it would be ready aroung 4.30 am. Sufficient kozhakattais   are  made by the women folk . The vadhyar  will help them finish the homam  early and they   will  be all back  in palghat   next day .Very many people  contribute for this homam and always  it is a grand affair

 

    If you see the very small ganesa in temple of Narasimha  murthy, you will  not believe  it was being done for him

  But to any one  hailing from Chelakkara that  Ganapathi  is their Ganapathi and without praying to him,  they will not start any  important job in  their home