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For this spiritual running people are preparing themselves for few days before like fasting etc. On the day of spiritual running, they wear saffron coloured cloths, having a small bag for collecting viboothi from temples and a hand fan. Since Lord Siva was so tried, people use this hand fan to serve him. Actually the people have to finish this spiritual running within a day by their plain foots (without wearing any sandals), but nowadays most of the people are not following these rules, but there are some people still follow these rules.
While the people run they say this slogan as “Govinda Gopala, Gopala Govinda”, because while Lord Siva was running he called
Lord Krishna to save him like this.
The temples are located in and around Kalkulam the former capital of Venad (used to be part of Travancore before the formation of Kerala state in 1956)....... The devotees after the ritualistic bath smear the holy ash in the fore head and chant "Govinda Gopala" and visit the 12 temples which are Thirumalai, Thikkurissi, Thrupparappu, Thirunandikkarai, Ponmanai, Pannipakam, Kalkulam, Melangodu, Thriuvidaikkodu, Thiruvithankkodu, Thriupannikkodu, and Thirunattalam.
Recently the Kanyakumari District Devasom Board Trust announced a monthly circuit tour connecting all these temples in order to facilitate the devotees to have a darshan of Lord Shiva. As the devotees were put to hardship owing to the lack of infrastructure facilities such as toilets, roads and drinking water, it was decided to develop basic amenities in all the 12 temples.
Legend : There are many versions in mythology regarding the origin of this pilgrimage, a couple are as follows:-
1.For a yajña the Pandavas were going to perform, Yudhistira required the milk of the purushamriga. The mighty human-beast was deeply devoted to Lord Shiva. And held a deep dislike towards Lord Vishnu, and all Vishnu devotees. Bhima took upon himself to bring the milk for the yajña, Lord Krishna wished to show that Shiva and Vishnu are One, and also restrain the overconfidence of Bhima. Krishna therefore gave Bhima 12 Shivalinga images, and told him he should drop one whenever he needed help.
Bhima traveled to the jungle where the purushamriga was in deep meditation, he uttered the words “Govinda, Gopala” , (names of Lord Krishna often chanted by his devotees as a form of worship), while he tried to get milk from the purushamriga. Hearing the names of Vishnu disturbed its mediation on Shiva, and it saw Vishnu appearing in the Shiva Linga it was worshipping. The purushamriga was enraged, and grabbed Bhima. To escape from its claws, Bhima dropped one Shivalinga, which turned into a Shiva shrine. The purusha-mriga let go of Bhima in order to worship Shiva.
A little later Bhima once again tried to obtain the milk, and again called “Govinda, Gopala”. Again the human-beast chased Bhima and caught him. Once again he dropped one of the Shivalingas Krishna had given him, and another Shiva shrine appeared. In this way the 12 stones created the 12 temples that are known as the Shivalayas.
In the end Bhima was again caught by the purushamriga, when he still had one foot in the territory of the sphinx-purushamriga. Because of this Bhima disputed that he was rightfully free. But Yudhistira judged that the half of Bhima’s body that was still within the territory of the purushamriga belonged to it. Much impressed with Yudhistira’s great justice, the purushamriga gave the milk for the completing of the yajña. And Bhima’s pride was thus subdued.
2. Vyakrapadan, son of Doumaya Maharshi, was a staunch believer of Siva. Lord Krishna engaged Bhima to invite Vyakrapadan for an Aswamedayagam. Lord Krishna handed over 12 Siva Lingams to Bhima and directed him to chant the names of Vishnu while he meets Vyakrapadan. Hearing the names ‘Govinda, Gopala’, irritated Vyakrapadan chased Bhima. Bhima dropped the Lingams one by one on his way, and it is believed that they later became the above-mentioned temples. The idol of the Thirunattalam, the temple where the ottam concluded, is Sankara Narayanar-suggesting that Hari and Haran are one and the same.
CONTINUED.....
While the people run they say this slogan as “Govinda Gopala, Gopala Govinda”, because while Lord Siva was running he called
Lord Krishna to save him like this.
The temples are located in and around Kalkulam the former capital of Venad (used to be part of Travancore before the formation of Kerala state in 1956)....... The devotees after the ritualistic bath smear the holy ash in the fore head and chant "Govinda Gopala" and visit the 12 temples which are Thirumalai, Thikkurissi, Thrupparappu, Thirunandikkarai, Ponmanai, Pannipakam, Kalkulam, Melangodu, Thriuvidaikkodu, Thiruvithankkodu, Thriupannikkodu, and Thirunattalam.
Recently the Kanyakumari District Devasom Board Trust announced a monthly circuit tour connecting all these temples in order to facilitate the devotees to have a darshan of Lord Shiva. As the devotees were put to hardship owing to the lack of infrastructure facilities such as toilets, roads and drinking water, it was decided to develop basic amenities in all the 12 temples.
Legend : There are many versions in mythology regarding the origin of this pilgrimage, a couple are as follows:-
1.For a yajña the Pandavas were going to perform, Yudhistira required the milk of the purushamriga. The mighty human-beast was deeply devoted to Lord Shiva. And held a deep dislike towards Lord Vishnu, and all Vishnu devotees. Bhima took upon himself to bring the milk for the yajña, Lord Krishna wished to show that Shiva and Vishnu are One, and also restrain the overconfidence of Bhima. Krishna therefore gave Bhima 12 Shivalinga images, and told him he should drop one whenever he needed help.
Bhima traveled to the jungle where the purushamriga was in deep meditation, he uttered the words “Govinda, Gopala” , (names of Lord Krishna often chanted by his devotees as a form of worship), while he tried to get milk from the purushamriga. Hearing the names of Vishnu disturbed its mediation on Shiva, and it saw Vishnu appearing in the Shiva Linga it was worshipping. The purushamriga was enraged, and grabbed Bhima. To escape from its claws, Bhima dropped one Shivalinga, which turned into a Shiva shrine. The purusha-mriga let go of Bhima in order to worship Shiva.
A little later Bhima once again tried to obtain the milk, and again called “Govinda, Gopala”. Again the human-beast chased Bhima and caught him. Once again he dropped one of the Shivalingas Krishna had given him, and another Shiva shrine appeared. In this way the 12 stones created the 12 temples that are known as the Shivalayas.
In the end Bhima was again caught by the purushamriga, when he still had one foot in the territory of the sphinx-purushamriga. Because of this Bhima disputed that he was rightfully free. But Yudhistira judged that the half of Bhima’s body that was still within the territory of the purushamriga belonged to it. Much impressed with Yudhistira’s great justice, the purushamriga gave the milk for the completing of the yajña. And Bhima’s pride was thus subdued.
2. Vyakrapadan, son of Doumaya Maharshi, was a staunch believer of Siva. Lord Krishna engaged Bhima to invite Vyakrapadan for an Aswamedayagam. Lord Krishna handed over 12 Siva Lingams to Bhima and directed him to chant the names of Vishnu while he meets Vyakrapadan. Hearing the names ‘Govinda, Gopala’, irritated Vyakrapadan chased Bhima. Bhima dropped the Lingams one by one on his way, and it is believed that they later became the above-mentioned temples. The idol of the Thirunattalam, the temple where the ottam concluded, is Sankara Narayanar-suggesting that Hari and Haran are one and the same.
CONTINUED.....