| Mahadeva Temple, Sreekandeswaram, Panavalli, Poochakkal, Ernakulam |
Lighting candle in memory of a Christian devotee of Sivalingam in a Hindu temple: such harmony of religious streams is found in the Mahadeva Temple at Sreekandeswaram, Panavalli, Poochakkal, Kochi, founded by sage and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. Here, it is common for Hindu devotees to ‘offer’ candle to the departed soul of Ouseph, a worshipper of the Sivalingam installed in the temple.
The story goes like this: a Sivalingam that was worshipped by the Brahmins of Chemmanakari came into the possession of Christian families after the original worshippers left the locality. Among these Christians was Ouseph who took to worshipping the Lingam with lighted candle. In 1922, when Sree Narayana Guru desired to install a Lingam at the Sreekandeswaram temple, he was ethereally directed to use the one that was worshipped by Ouseph.
Guru himself installed the Lingam in the temple. During the astrological calculations in connection with Deva Prasnam in 1993 and 2006, it was found that the soul of Ouseph had reached the temple. The attempt of the temple authorities to draw him to a cross and submit it to the church failed. It was then decided that a place at the northern side of the temple be allotted to him.
Thus it is a common sight to see Hindu devotees lighting candles and worshipping the ‘Christian soul’ on Tuesdays and Fridays. A rite called ‘thiri thelikkal’ is part of the rituals at the temple.
Courtesy:
K.R.Sethuraman, Mathrubhumi, June 27, 2006
Contributed by: Administrator
