Maheswaram (Chenkal) Siva-Parvathy Temple and Maha Sivalinga

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 Ancient temples are often the source of wonderment for the traveller; the mere scale and intricacy of the architecture strikes awe in one's mind. A modern shrine that evokes the very same feelings in our minds has come up in Chenkal village (Maheswaram) about 26 km from Thiruvananthapuram, and that too within the last decade.

Even though the Chenkal Maheswara Siva temple traces its roots to antiquity, it became a noted pilgrim centre and a tourist attraction after Swamy Maheswarananda Saraswathi became the ashram spiritual head. He was instrumental in re-building a grand shrine for Siva-Parvati in the typical Travancore architectural style. What made the temple unique was his concept of making it a centre for worship of the 'Holy Family', with shrines for Ganapathy and Karthikeya within the Nalambalam. According to Swamiji, the unity of apparent opposites in the universe is represented by the composite form of Siva-Parvati/Shakti, Siva as Purusha or the male aspect, and Parvati as Prakriti or the creative aspect. The pooja idol of Siva-Parvati is cast in the traditional manner from 'Panchaloha', an alloy of five metals.

The temple also offers the pilgrim the opportunity to worship all the 12 Jyothirlingas from the four corners of India. Another rarity here is the hall housing the 32 aspects of Lord Ganesha, something one does not come across in any other temple.

But, as they say, the icing on the cake for the traveller and the pilgrim is the record-breaking huge Siva Linga that has come up in the temple compound. The idea came into Swamiji's mind in the wee hours of a March morning in 2012. Fired by Divine inspiration, Swamiji set out to achieve the impossible. It was indeed a mammoth task since this involved the collection of huge variety of things specified in the Shastras before the foundation stone could be laid -- the holy water and soil from Thriveni Sangam, from Gomukh and HImalayas, also from the seven rivers, from Kasi, Rameswaram, Kanyakumari,  and a whole lot of other exotic stuff. The swamiji, with his solid tantric background, set about leading the work from the front, and the structure was consecrated and opened to the public after six years of toil. With a height of 111 feet and 2 inches and a diameter of 50 feet, the Maha Linga dwarfs that at Kotilingeshwara Temple in Karnataka. But more than its size, the Maha Linga captivates with the wonders that it hides within.

The Maha Linga was conceived based on the Shadadhara principle of Yoga Shastra, with six of the eight floors inside the structure representing the six Chakras, or energy centres of the human body. Each of these floors has a circular meditation hall with the Chakra mudras and other related relief sculptures adorning the walls. The ground floor houses the Prithvi Chakra, with an installation of 108 Shiva lingams, and where the devotee, irrespective of caste or creed, can offer 'Abhishekam' by himself-- thanks to Swamiji's credo that "one must worship one's God by oneself", and not with the help of an intermediary.

A slow climb along the dimly lit and cave-like spiral ramp takes you to each level. The ambience of the ramp is supposed to represent the seven hills of the Himalayas, and the path is dotted with the statues of great Rishis from the Puranas.The walls of the seven floors are adorned with the 64 aspects of Siva, each meditation hall houses the represesentations of the Siva lingas from the 108 Sivalayas originally consecrated by Sage Parasurama.

Climbing up from the Prithvi Chakra, one reaches the first Chakra, Muladharam, its signature colour being Red. The next level is the Swadhishtana Chakra (colour Orange). The third Chakra is Manipurakam (signature colour Yellow), the fourth being Anahath (colour Green). Next comes Visuddhi, its colour being Blue, and the sixth Chakra is Ajna, the signature colour here being Indigo. 

After passing the sixth Chakra, one approaches the last level representing Kailasa itself, the abode of Siva-Parvathi, where a lotus with 1,000 petals represents the 'Sahasrara Chakra' or pure consciousness, according to the principles of Yoga, its theme colour being Violet. At the 8th level, suddenly the darkness gives way to shimmering snow-clad peaks and a cool draft welcomes you to the "sannidhi" of the Supreme Lord and his Consort. If one has the occasion to peacefully meditate at each level, by the time one reaches 'Kailasam', one would surely be spiritually liberated from all shackles of worldly vexations. But the reality is another--lucky if you are in a small group and is guided by the knowledgeable ashramites so that you could get a taste of the spirituality exuded by the Maha Sivalinga.

Now construction is going on next to the Maha Sivalinga which will house a pathway to ground level for the visitors returning after the Kailasa visit, as the spiral ramp in the Maha Sivalinga is narrow and cannot easily accommodate the ascending and descending streams of visitors.

There is the restored ancient Kerala style timber home of the parents of the Swamiji in the campus, as also another large building housing the Ashram. 

It is no exaggeration that the unique concept realized by the Swamiji provides the traveller and the pilgrim with a one-of-a-kind experience that calms the mind and rejuvenates the body.

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Google Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/HHJbfbgAMjVSCKCG8

Temple sites: http://maheswaramtemple.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Hindu-Temple/Maheswaram-Sri-Sivaparvathi-Temple-Trust-Chenkal-Neyyattinkara-1686215811600564/

Explore more @ : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/chenkal-set-to-be-home-to-countrys-largest-shivalingam/articleshow/66489669.cms





























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