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Sree Rajarajeshwara Temple

The Shiva linga here is believed to be thousands of years old. Legend has it that Shiva gave three sacred Sihvalingas to Parvathy for worship. Once sage Maandhatha propitiated Lord Shiva with intense prayers. Shiva was so pleased that he presented one of the Shivalingas to him with the injunction that it should be installed only at a place where there was no cremation ground. The sage, after searching all over, found Taliparamba the most sacred spot where he installed the linga.

After his death the linga however disappeared into the earth. Then his son Muchukunda offered similar prayers to Shiva and got a second linga, which too disappeared in course of time. Centuries passed. The third Shivalinga was handed down to Satasoman, a king of Mushaka (Kolathunad) dynasty who then ruled the region. He was an ardent devotee of Shiva. On the advice of sage Agastya he prayed to Lord Shiva who granted him the Shivalinga. Parasurama installed the Lingam in the present temple built by Satasoma.

POOJA TIMING

The temple opens at 5.00 am in the morning and after Uchha pooja the temple will be closed at 12 noon. The temple opens again at 5 pm. The Deepaaraadhana is performed after 6.00 pm and the last pooja, the Athazha pooja takes place at 7.45 pm.

Morning

Pooja	Time
Kanikku Thurakkal(opening)	5.00 am
Natravat Pooja	7.00 am
Panthiradi Pooja	8.00 am
Ucha Pooja	9.30 am
Nada Adakkal	12.00 noon

Evening

Pooja	Time
Nada Thurakkal(opening)	5.00 pm
Deeparadhana after	6.00 pm
Athazha pooja	7.45 pm
Nada Adakkal (closing)	8.30 pm

Rulers and Rajarajeswara

In the past, Kerala was divided into many small kingdoms and there were many kings/rulers. They all considered Lord Rajarajeswara as their Chakaravarthy (Rajarajeswara or King of Kings). The Taliparamba region was ruled by Zamorins(Samoothiri) of Kozhikkod(Calicut) and they were devotees of Lord Rajarajeswara. One of the Zamorins was an ardent devotee of the Lord of Taliparamba. After years of intense worship he is said to have entered the sanctum sanctorum and merged with the Lord.

The Taliparamba temple also was subject to attack by Tipu Sultan. One finds relics of the old gigantic gopuram at the entrance, which was demolished by Tipu’s army. The story goes that when the temple was under siege, the head priest was inside the sanctum sanctorum and prayed ceaselessly day and night. it is further said that a black snake bit the commander of the army and a hooded serpent appeared before every soldier thus immobilizing the army and saving the temple from total destruction.

J.Jayalalitha, the former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu visited Sri Rajarajeshwara Temple at Taliparamba in 2001. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa offered worship at Rajarajeswara Temple many times and in November 2008, he had offered an elephant. He worshipped Lord Rajarajeswara amid the political crisis faced by his government following the decision by 19 MLAs to withdraw support to the BJP government and he survived from the crisis.

KOODIYATTAM

Padma Shri Maani Madhava Chakyaar

The place is considered as most sacred for performing Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu. Whenever a new Koodiyattam is being directed, first it is usually performed at this temple. However only the ‘Maani’ family of Chakyars solely posses the right of performing Koodiyattam here. Legendary Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu maestro, Natyaachaarya Vidushakaratnam Padma Shri Maani Madhava Chakyaar had performed here for many decades. The title ‘Vidushakaratnam’ was awarded to him from this temple. One of the greatest appreciation or award that an artist/scholar can get, is the ‘Veerashringhala’- Golden Bracelet, from the temple, given by the unanimous approval of the scholar body of the temple. Guru Mani Madhava Chakyaar is the youngest and last person to get the Veerashringhala from here.

Rajarajeswara Stotras

The most distinguished of the royal poets of the Zamorin of Calicut, Uddanda Sastri, being a Nirgunopasaka was never given to worshipping of deities. Whenever he visited any temple he simply stood before the deity folding his hands. But when he stood before Rajarajeswara, the King of Kings, at Taliparamba he was so overwhelmed by the magnificence of the deity that he unconsciously uttered the words, ‘Hara Hara Mahadeva’, and prostrated himself before the Lord. Then and there he composed a verse to the effect that when he saw the splendorous crescent adorning the idol his hands automatically joined together in prayer. “Moon on your head is like an actual moon which makes the devotees fold their hand as if a water lilly does in the moonlight”. Stotras praising Rajarajeswara are availabile in Sanskrit and in Malayalam. Among them Chellooreesa Vilasam and Chelloorppiran Sthuthi are the most important works. Several vandana shlokas are also available.