Maha Sivarathri – the festival of Lord Siva, the auspicious occasion of Malayalam month Meenam when devotees spend a whole day and night in the prayers of Lord Siva, sleepless. It’s celebrated in a grand way all over India. It’s so special for Kanyakumari district (a part of old Travancore kingdom) where males run through 12 temples of these districts, taking a whole day. Nowadays though people use motor bikes and auto rickshaws to travel 100 km a day, still devotees are there who walk through the streets bare footed to cover this distance uttering the words, “Govinda! Gopala!”

Its story is connected to Bhima of Mahabharatha. It’s believed that, when a demon attacked Bhima, he threw rudraksha beads one by one at 12 places to escape from him. Later those 12 places turned to 12 temples and still devotees run exactly through the same path, covering 12 temples, uttering the same words of Bhima. No doubt, Shivalaya run gives devotes a lot of things as blessings – a spiritual feeling, freshness, peaceful thoughts, health and many more.

Earlier people used to take intense Vritha before doing this ritual. Though such vritha are less seen these days, a few are there who still follow the customs. They start Vritha in Kumbham month, 7 or 8 days before Ekadesi. They eat tender coconut and its water everyday during day time and at night, sleep drinking thulsi water. Like Sabarimala pilgrimage, they have a ‘gurunathan’ (leader) and a group contains a leader always.

They wear yellow or orange colour cotton dress and carry a palm fan, a little bhasma and a small bag for coins. When they reach each temple, they use palm fan to cool the shrine and later travel forward. They wear ‘bhasma’ on their chest and forehead. When they reach each temple, they bath in temple pond, wear bhasma and continue their journey.

Now let me list the 12 temples included for Sivalaya run. Let me quote in order. The devotees start at noon from Munjira Thirumala temple after noon deeparadhana. This temple is also known as first Sivalaya temple. Then they reach Thikkurusi, Thripparappu Veerabhadra, Thirunandikkara, Ponmana, Pannipakam, Kalkulam, Melankottu, Thiruvadaycode, Thiruvithankodu of Thakkala, Thrippanikodu and finally Naattaalam. When they reach the 12^th temple, night would have set and it will be dawn break. It’s believed that when a devotee completes the ritual of running through 12 temples and finally sink in the temple pond and go before Siva and Vishnu of Naattalam, a lot of blessings will be showered on him for his life throughout.  

Article Posted By : Sandhya Rani  On March 06, 2013lView All Articles

Simply a devotee of Siva

Article Source :

http://www.veethi.com/articles/govinda-gopala-a-small-note-of-shivalaya-run-of-kanyakumari-article-1695.htm

Keywords :
Shivalaya run of Kanyakumari , 12 siva temples of KK district