The THANNI tree

In the light of experience, many devotees who have experienced and heard about the miraculous powers of the serpents and the presiding deities here, tell many stories about Mannarasala temple.

It is not a rare thing to see the same serpent appear in the same location for a number of days in the temple premises. On the steps of the gatehouse, on the hedgerows, among the creepers; those who perform bhajanam in the temple can stand very close at any time and pray.

On one occasion, about six decades ago, a fierce yellow serpent started dancing on the eastern bank of the holy pond near the Appooppan Kavu carrying an evil snake in its mouth. Then it vomited the evil snake and released it. The serpent raised its hood either out of fear or out of a desire of revenge. The fierce snake with a sense of humour swallowed that cobra again. The late Valia Amma came to know about it. She came to the spot with tears in her eyes and spoke a few words. The serpent did not budge. This drama lasted for half an hour. Amma became sad. With the chanting of manthras, she prayed for the release of the cobra. No more delay, the serpent left the cobra, bent down its head and went straight into the Appooppan Kavu, as if nothing had happened. The nature of the yellow snakes of Appoppan Kavu is beyond description, and is wonderful.

When Sri Chitra Thirunal was ruling over Travancore; the destruction caused by World War II was spreading all over the country, the people were oppressed by poverty; there was famine everywhere. Sir.C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer was the Diwan, a man of great intellect and formidable prowess. Orders were issued to take over foodstuff from any household, even if they are in the custody of the great ones, and to introduce rationing.

The Tahsildar of Karthikappally at that time was a Tamil Brahmin; a native of Haripad; his house was very close to his office; a gentleman who knew exactly the income of each individual and family in the locality. He was waiting for an opportunity to please the Diwanji. He got ready to display his skill to the maximum. Among the list of landlords the Mannarasala Illam was included. One day very early in the morning the Tahsildar and his associates came to the Illam along with a batch of policemen. They took away every grain of rice and paddy, even what was meant for Nivedyam. Everything was heaped in the courtyard. He was disappointed at not being able to collect as much rice and paddy as he had expected and it made him indiscrete. He knew very well that no one would enter the Nilavara. He issued orders to open the doors of Nilavara on the suspicion that foodstuff had been illegally stocked there, without heeding to the requests of the family members not to open the Nilavara. No one came forward to do so, including the accompanied policemen. The infuriated Tahsildar under a false sense of prestige opened the cellar. But he could not enter inside and had to retreat. (No great delay; he lost his eyesight and his family which had been rich was reduced to penury and destroyed. He was completely broken and had to sell off whatever left; and had to leave the place forever ).

The officers came with their men to take away the rice that had been heaped in the courtyard. On the top of that heap, a serpent was seen; and the policemen were frightened. They approached the head of the family for help. He advised them to take away everything leaving behind what was meant for nivedyam in the temple. They were ready to do so; and the serpent slowly crept away and disappeared into the jungle nearby.

There is a tale that has been well-known from ancient times depicting about the consequences for trying to enter the Nilavara, except by the Great Mothers from time to time.

A few days after Anantha the ‘Muthassan’ disappeared in the Nilavara, his younger brother had the desire to meet his brother. When he insisted obstinately, the mother said “ Then, enter the Nilavara and close your left eye and look at the south-west corner with your right eye…”” The son followed it and saw a brilliant light. The eye that saw it lost the power of sight!

It is interpreted that the main characters in this tale, the Mother and the younger brother could have been the Valia Amma and son of a later generation, and that it may perhaps have happened. A young boy of the family may have felt the desire to see the “Muthassan”, and the Mother may have yielded to the unlimited obstinacy of the son. That mother by divine insight must have realized that he might lose eyesight because of the halo of light; hence she may have advised him to close one eye and look with the other eye. And in this way he might have lost the sight of one of his eyes because of the flaming brightness of the light.

Legends say that Anantha, was born as a five hooded serpent-child to Vasudeva and Sreedevi of the Illam. Once the aims of his incarnation were fulfilled, he informed his mother that he would remain in the Nailavara in Samadhi forever, blessing the devotees. (More details in History – Muthassan, Appoppan Kavu).   

The Mother who was so full of affection could not put up with that separation. Human weakness pained the Holy Mother. She rushed into the cellar herself; there shone only a halo of light… The Lord had his hermitess Mother as the one and only centre of confidence in this world. The beloved son consoled the Mother.

Only the Mother was granted the opportunity and authority to see the Lord face to face; he gave his full consent to be satisfied with the Mother’s offering of worship just once a year. (Still Nurum Palum is offered only once in a year, the day next to Sivaratri by the Great Mother). He also revealed the secret truth that the worship in the cellar need be offered only by the Mother and the worship offered in the temple will reach him without any loss of time, with the same force. Thus he gave his beloved mother the unusual permission to offer worship in the temple as well as the rare opportunity ever granted to an antarjanam (women) priestess.