Nediathali Siva Temple, Thrissur Dist, Kerala

Nedia Thali Siva Temple

“It was somewhere here” – said a little baffled Ram as we drove along the Kodungallur-Guruvayoor NH-17.  It should be 2 km from the Kodungallur town when he abruptly stopped his bike and said – “There it is!”
 
We stopped close to him and looked out. On the other side of the road is our destination for the day – The Nedia Thali Siva Temple.

Parking our bikes alongside a tree, we crossed the road and went closer. There is a temporary kind of shed, a metal roofed structure, where a priest was performing the ritual. Close behind is a single room –  can we call it a sanctum?

“So you mean to say this is a temple? And that too one of the 108 Siva Temples?” – Abhi asked Ram, rather intriguingly. 

“Yes. This was a temple. This is a temple. And this temple is one among the 108” – “Even the Gods have good and bad times. There are Rich Gods and there are not so Rich Gods! - Naturally, not all of them can have mansions – few live in 1BHK!”

Centuries back NediaThali was one among the four Thali temples of Chera Kingdom. It was the administrative headquarters for an entire region of the Kingdom. Then there were battles, wars, conquests, assaults which all had only one common denominator – destruction. Along with several lives, families, dynasties this temple also went into ruins.

“It was all destroyed in Tipu’s attack and just the idol was lying there till few years back. There was one brother of Kunjumami of Cranganore Cafe. He used to light a lamp there every day even when nobody was taking care of this temple. He passed away. Now it is taken up by local people.” – tells a historian from Kodungallur. Now there is at least a temple sort of construction - a room where the idol is placed though without an altar. Interestingly there is a backdoor to it. Behind is a narrow kitchen as a separate room.

“Considering all the other Thali temples, this temple should also be facing East. But probably with the NH at its West, temple also changed to face towards West.”

It is difficult to explain what we felt visiting the temple. Wasn’t it better to leave that temple in its destructed form rather than this incongruous construction?

No. We are here not to question. It was just a Bohemian thought. Our journeys are supposed to be made with an open mind. After all we are still humble students of this terrestrial life. Headlights flashed - We sped ahead - In search of ourselves.