Mom has been very excited about our trip to Koduppana tomorrow. It's the dedication of the 'Nagaraja' temple of her mother's family to the public, after a series of tantrik and restoration pujas. This has been brought about after co-ordination with the many branches of the family as the 'discomfort' caused by the neglect of the deity was wreaking havoc on the present generations as explained by the astrologers.
Background.
My great grandmother had two brothers younger to her and the elder of the two never believed in any of the religious practices. The family inheritance of about 5.2 acres of land was sold off for an attractive price, with scant regard to the 'Nagaraja' idols that used to be prayed to by the family, every morning and evening, by lighting the sacred lamp.
The details of the transactions were not divulged to my great grandmother, who'd by then shifted to Ettumanoor with her younger daughter, after the death of my great grandfather. The biggest tragedy was that in the process of accumulation of monetary gains, the vital aspect of the family's snake deity was played down by the money-oriented sibling, saying that it was all falsehoods based on superstitious beliefs! Consequently, the huge tree and the thick undergrowth were all cleared off with amazing speed, so, our elders recount and the stone statuettes were disposed off/buried without any trace!
The price that all the concerned parties had to pay, over the years, can never be quantified but the family did suffer by the spate of ill luck that befell many of its members like infant/untimely deaths, late/childless marriages and congenital illnesses, a predominance of girl children to boys - though, personally, I'm of the opinion that it's a boon - all attributed to the snake god's negative orientation towards the family due to that one man's misguided ventures. Story has it that even he too met with a miserable end! It was this wrong that has been corrected after prolonged discussions within the many branches of the family - my great grandmother's and her two siblings' - over the last few years, because there are many non believers among us who still believe that the whole thing is a big hogwash but have mutely agreed to go with the majority, though I believe it to be out of a deep, inherent fear in most of us, if not all, about the wrath of the snake god and its dangerous consequences and the restored and refurbished sanctum is now ready for dedication.
The plan.
But the single approach to the shrine is a narrow, mud road along a narrow rivulet and connected water sheds which is a little over a kilometer. Mom would find it difficult to negotiate that distance in her present condition but she insists on having a peek at the place where she'd spent her childhood and I can understand her sentiments! To overcome this aspect, I've hired a country boat which should help not only her, but an uncle and an aunt who have similar problems in locomotion.
My sister, Rema, had fetched up earlier in the day for the pilgrimage and it will be George who'll be our 'saarthi'. The puja will begin around 10 AM.
The rest of the family will be joining up from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Kayamkulam etc.
PS.
I remember the last time that we'd gone to Koduppana, which is in the district of Alappuzha. It was about a month before my dad had passed away. He'd surveyed the entire area sitting in the car and at one point of time, I remember having asked him about his first visit to the place and his reply still resonates in my ears and I quote, "I'd visited this place soon after our wedding and many times after, till its disposal, by which time the original 36 acres of greenery amid an abundance of water had shrunk to a miserable five odd acres thanks to mismanagement and greed. But the lasting fact that I remember about the place is your mom's energy that gets charged during every visit".
Background.
My great grandmother had two brothers younger to her and the elder of the two never believed in any of the religious practices. The family inheritance of about 5.2 acres of land was sold off for an attractive price, with scant regard to the 'Nagaraja' idols that used to be prayed to by the family, every morning and evening, by lighting the sacred lamp.
The details of the transactions were not divulged to my great grandmother, who'd by then shifted to Ettumanoor with her younger daughter, after the death of my great grandfather. The biggest tragedy was that in the process of accumulation of monetary gains, the vital aspect of the family's snake deity was played down by the money-oriented sibling, saying that it was all falsehoods based on superstitious beliefs! Consequently, the huge tree and the thick undergrowth were all cleared off with amazing speed, so, our elders recount and the stone statuettes were disposed off/buried without any trace!
The price that all the concerned parties had to pay, over the years, can never be quantified but the family did suffer by the spate of ill luck that befell many of its members like infant/untimely deaths, late/childless marriages and congenital illnesses, a predominance of girl children to boys - though, personally, I'm of the opinion that it's a boon - all attributed to the snake god's negative orientation towards the family due to that one man's misguided ventures. Story has it that even he too met with a miserable end! It was this wrong that has been corrected after prolonged discussions within the many branches of the family - my great grandmother's and her two siblings' - over the last few years, because there are many non believers among us who still believe that the whole thing is a big hogwash but have mutely agreed to go with the majority, though I believe it to be out of a deep, inherent fear in most of us, if not all, about the wrath of the snake god and its dangerous consequences and the restored and refurbished sanctum is now ready for dedication.
The plan.
But the single approach to the shrine is a narrow, mud road along a narrow rivulet and connected water sheds which is a little over a kilometer. Mom would find it difficult to negotiate that distance in her present condition but she insists on having a peek at the place where she'd spent her childhood and I can understand her sentiments! To overcome this aspect, I've hired a country boat which should help not only her, but an uncle and an aunt who have similar problems in locomotion.
My sister, Rema, had fetched up earlier in the day for the pilgrimage and it will be George who'll be our 'saarthi'. The puja will begin around 10 AM.
The rest of the family will be joining up from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Kayamkulam etc.
PS.
I remember the last time that we'd gone to Koduppana, which is in the district of Alappuzha. It was about a month before my dad had passed away. He'd surveyed the entire area sitting in the car and at one point of time, I remember having asked him about his first visit to the place and his reply still resonates in my ears and I quote, "I'd visited this place soon after our wedding and many times after, till its disposal, by which time the original 36 acres of greenery amid an abundance of water had shrunk to a miserable five odd acres thanks to mismanagement and greed. But the lasting fact that I remember about the place is your mom's energy that gets charged during every visit".
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