Last Updated: September 11, 2023, 18:55 IST
This mana has survived its glory to date.
This story is narrated in the book Aithihyamaala: The Garland of Legends, written by Kottarathil Sankunni.
Have you heard of Kerala’s Suryakaladi Mana? It is an age-old mana (Mana is the Malayalam word for the house of a Namboodiri Brahmin) renowned for its ancestors, who were said to be great tantriks (those who performed the Tantram ritual). The ancestral house of this family is situated on the banks of the Meenachil River and was constructed by Maharaja Swati Tirunal. It reflects Kerala’s unique architecture. This mana has survived its glory to date and is a visual treat for all visitors.
According to the Malayalam News 18 report, this mana was established around two hundred years ago. The younger generation is trying their best to preserve the grandeur of this majestic mana. One of the major tourist attractions here is the Ganapati idol. There is a popular folklore attached to this mana as well. This story is narrated in the book Aithihyamaala: The Garland of Legends, written by Kottarathil Sankunni.
According to folklore, a man named Bhattathiri from Kaladi Mana and his friend Namboothiri went to see Thrissur Pooram. They met two beautiful young women, who invited them to stay at their house. They both accepted the invitation. Reportedly, Namboothiri kept a book Devimahatmyam (a holy text of the goddess) near him and chanted devotional hymns. Then, one of the two women entered his room and asked him to keep the book aside. Namboothiri suspected that something was wrong and didn’t accept the request. He later found that the woman was a Yakshi (They were believed to be spirits that inhabit trees, mountains, rock mounds, rivers, and oceans) who had killed his friend Bhattathiri.
Namboothiri was saved and then narrated the entire incident to Bhattathiri’s wife. Then she told it to her son years later. The young boy invoked the might of the sun to avenge the death of his father, who bestowed him with superpowers. He came to be known as Surya Bhattathiri. That’s how the house came to be known as Suryakaladi Mana. The boy magically brought to the fore the spirit who had killed his father and placed her in a burning homa kunda, in the form of a deity outside the mana.
Suryakaladi Mana is an ancient abode of Lord Maha Ganapathy and the vision of Mahaganapathi is a tri-juncture of Siva, Vaishnava, and Sakteya traditions. A devotee who seeks the blessing of the gods here wholeheartedly is never disappointed.
