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Thiruvizha Temple
Thiruvizha is situated about 5 km
south-west of Cherthala and is famous for Shiva temple. The temple
attracts large number of devotees on account of the divine prasadam
which is supposed to possess medicinal and curative properties for
mental illness,
leprosy, dropsy
(edema: swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in
tissue) etc and
rejuvenate body & soul.
It is very
interesting ritual done in this temple of Thiruvizha for many centuries. The temple is famous for kaivisha chikithsa
(curing people who have ingested charmed food from enemies). A purgative
drink of medicinal herb is administered, following which the victim begins
puking as he circumambulates the temple.
Devotees who come here stay in the evening at the temple housing facility
and pray "Deeparadhana" followed by kuruthi pooja. After they eat prasad-dinner
they retire to sleep. Morning at 5.00 they have darshan of Lord shiva and
stay with empty stomach (no water, tea or coffee, not even temple theertham
(holy water))
till 8.30 AM.
At 8.30
the temple priest reads the registered names of devotees who wanted to
consume the medicine. 100 ml of milk prasad (Sacred milk) in the deity's presence is
taken which has the poisonous plant. It is believed that Lord Shiva consumes
the poison like he did in churning of the ocean and then offers the
medicinal extract to the devotees.
Worshipping the
lord, devotees take the prasad and then chanting Lord's name circumbulate
the sand filled 700 meter temple campus. Within five rounds devotees who had
been given black magic potion or evil-spirited food or drink will start to
vomit it out. Some see even meat pieces or vegetable pieces in the dirt.
Then the temple priests give hot water to drink. In every round at least
200ml of hot water should be drunk and continue walking. In few rounds
people who wished to detoxify their body will start to throw up in the sand
pavements of the temple campus.
It is astonishing that the temple remises remain clean even inspite of 50-100
devotees vomiting their negatives all round the year. Devotees take few
rounds of rest till 11.00 AM. At 11.30 the devotees are served the blessing
of milk-porridge prasad and with that the ritual commences. The devotees are
instructed to abstain from non-vegetarian food, alcohol and sex for a week
and remain pure at body and mind level.
 It would be
interesting to note that Sage
Nagarjuna
, who introduced Madhyamika (middle
path) philosophy in Buddhism visited and stayed in this Thiruvizha
temple and wrote a book (Rasa Vaisheshika). Sage
Nagarjuna is revered as “Medicine Buddha” and one could see his idol being
erected in almost all Buddhist temples around the world. He is also
respected as a Buddhist reformist when the Mahayana and Hinayana
philosophies were dividing the followers.
Another version is that it was Lord Parasuraman who brought Brahmanans (Namboothiris)
to Kerala, assigned eight of the families as physicians, and these
families came to be known as Ashtavaidyans. There is a third view which
states that eight prominent disciples of Vaagbhata and their families
continued the Ashtaangahridayam method of treatment, thus prompting the dual
meaning of the word. Some believe that Vaagbhata came to Kerala and
composed Ashtaangahridayam sitting on a rock near Thiruvizha
temple, though historians contest this. Anyway, while the rest of the
country follows Charaka and Sushrutha, Kerala follows Vaagbhata's
Ashtaangahridayam, and this strict method of treatment is world-renowned.
Similar to Pancha Bhoota therapy cleansing
It is interesting
to see that this ritual in Thiruvizha temple is similar to the Pancha bhoota
castor oil or gall-nut cleansing. It is amazing to see only one difference
that, while doing Pancha bhoota cleansing, the cleansing occurs through
bowel movements induced by drinking many rounds of hot water. Here in the
Thiruvizha even after drinking many rounds of hot water no one has any
bowel cleansing , but only vomit the toxins out.
All the elements of Pancha Bhoota are found in the Thiruvizha
cleansing.
Earth - The herb given for cleansing
Water - Hot water
Fire - The Lymphatic stimulating walking around the temple
Campus
Air - Breath Conscious walking
Space - Chanting the God's name and be in the Awareness state
(Shiva)
Dont miss to do this mind and body cleansing when you visit
Kerala.
Thiruvizha Mahadeva Kshetram,
P.o.,Kanichchu-kulangara, (Kanachikulangara P O)
Cherthala,
Aalapuzha District,
Kerala
Phone -011-91-478-2864836
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