Vaika comes from Vaikom which is a reference to
the revered Vaikom Mahadev Temple and Ashtami refers to the 8th day
of the Malayalam month Vrischikam (November-December - Sagittarius) according
to the lunar calendar
On the banks of the Vembanad lake in Vaikom in
Kottayam district stands the Vaikom Mahadev temple constructed of black stone on
8 acres of land. The temple is surrounded by four looming towers and has four
big corridors or mandapams with spacious halls called prakrams
The Vaikom Mahadev temple is dedicated to the
worship of Mahadev, Lord Shiva, the Destroyer in the Hindu Trinity
Lord Shiva is worshipped in three forms:
- Morning – Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurthy where He is manifest as the supreme guru and in his avatar of knowledge destroys ignorance. In this avatar Lord Shiva faces Dakshin, the south which is the direction of death
- Noon – Lord Shiva as Kiratamurti which is the form manifest to Arjun, the Pandav prince
- Evening – Lord Sambhashivan along with Goddess Parvati. Lord Shiva as originating from the ash tree
The Vaikashtami Festival spans 12 days during
which the symbol of Shiva in the form of a 5m high Shivalinga is worshipped
On the 7th day of the Vaikashtami
Festival, the idol of Lord Shiva in the symbolic form of Thidampu is borne
forth in a spectacular procession and as it makes its way through the throng
the crowds swell as it is joined by another grand procession bearing Lord
Muruga (Subrahmanya) from the adjacent Muruka temple of Udayanapuram. Thus Lord
Shiva meets his son Muruga in the temple and the short tryst ends with the
farewell
The festival ends with the Asthami celebration,
the most significant 8th day of the festivities
It celebrates the day when Sage Vyaghrapada was
blessed with the manifestation of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. In Tamil
Vaiyaghra became Vaikom
This luminous moment is marked by the lighting of
the ceremonial lamps called Ashtami Vilakku
There are night long performances by Kathakali
artistes on the 8th day of Asthami
Throughout the festival there are music and dance
concerts making for a rich cultural experience
The significance of the temple lies in the history
of satyagraha (non-violent agitation) for the restoration of equality in
worship where nobody could be debarred on grounds of caste and the crowds that
gather reflect this honorific event
Location
From Kochi move south 30 km and from Kottayam move
up north 40 km
Train and local bus is the best way to travel but
arrive early so as to avoid jam-packed local transport
Date of the Vaikashtami Festival
December 7th
is the likely date of the festival this year
