Panchayat/ Municipality/ Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Corporation

LOCATION District Thiruvananthapuram

Nearest Town/ Grandhasala Road Junction – 750 m Landmark/ Junction

Nearest Bus statio Jagathy Bus Stop – 1.4 Km

Nearest Railway Trivandrum Central Railway Station – 5 Km statio ACCESSIBILITY

Nearest Airport Trivandrum International Airport – 9 Km

Sree Nagarukavu Kshethram Trust 1686/86, Nagarukavu Road Poojappura Thiruvananthapuram -695012 Phone: +91-471-2346766 Mobile: +91-9400496766 CONTACT +91-9447411981 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nagarukavu.org DATES FREQUENCY DURATION

TIME September – October (Kanni) Annual 3 Days

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL (Legend/History/Myth) The highly worshipped Nagarukavu Temple of Poojappura stands one among the prime most temples of its kind. It is believed to be having a holy history of two and a half centuries or more. The present temple had been once an altar with its several shrines and densely covered forests. As days pass on the temple acquires more and more sanctity and divinity but by the power of godly entities. The important deities are ‘’, ‘Nagaramma’ and ‘Nagakanya’. The fact is that Sree Vasuki, supposed to be the personification of the power of the Lord , is worshipped as the Nagaraja. Hence, importance is given to Shiva worship. In addition, the Nagaramma, Nagakanya and the Nagaraja are believed to bless the devotees who come on the holy threshold of the Sanctum - Sanctorum. They represent the Gods who provide good and loving children, progress and fortune and are easily propitiated. A vision back to one century upon the temple, throws light on the miraculous experiences of devotees. It is said that once when a child cried for the plantain fruit brought to the temple by a devotee, her mother tried to convince her that it can be had only after offering it to God. Then she took the child back home. But to everybody’s surprise, next day a fruit could be seen on the threshold of the home with a mark of bite (a deep cut with the fang) on it. It is an incident known to almost all the people around.

Local Over 5000 RELEVANCE- NO. OF PEOPLE (Local / National / International) PARTICIPATED EVENTS/PROGRAMS DESCRIPTION (How festival is celebrated)

Kalamezhuthum Sarppa The three day festival begins two days prior to Ayilyam Pattum Nakshatra. Special rituals and pujas dedicated to Sarppa Bali including Nagaraja and Nagayakshi are performed. Nagaroottu Thousands of devotees who come from various parts of Ayilya Pooja take part in the festival. The most sacred and the Annadanam greatest of the Poojas for the Naga deities is the Pushpabhishekam Pulluvan Pattu Sarpabali. It is performed only by the thanthrees of high Musical Programs penance. On the day of Aayilyam a kalam as it is called (holy columns) is made before the Lord and worship with rice and coconut. Everything is placed in the middle together with the Darbha Koorcham and worshipped in dedication to Sri Chandeswara. The pooja is carried out after the 'Athazha pooja' supposed to be the pooja of supper. It is actually the feeding of the Ashtanagas like Anantha, Vasuki and thousands of other subordinate Nagas like Irvaran, Agajapan, Sithiprishtan, Shikhan, Adisikhan etc. after inviting them by the conventional ways of worship. This is believed to provide blessings of Sree Nagaraja, Nagaramma and Ashtaiswarya Varadayini Nagakanya and reduce the ill-effects of Sarpadosha, Sarpasapa, Vishabheethi. They are said to be replaced by Sarpapreethi, Mangalya bhagya, Santhanalabdhi and progress of the family. A nanocraft exhibition has also been part of the festival during the previous year’s celebration.