There is Nalambalam Kottyam District. Details are given below. People nearby area can also visit these places during the season.
- Sree Rama Temple Devasthanam.
This is at Ramapuram in Kottayam District is a temple complex that attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the state. The Sree Rama Temple has been a source of mental peace and spiritual satisfaction for the people in the locality for nearly 1000 years. The temple becomes unusually crowded during Karkkidakam when the ‘Nalambala Darshan’ starts.
The village got its name ‘Ramapuram’ after the Rama temple came into existence. The local Rama Temple here, Lord Lakshmana temple at Koodappulam, Lord Bharatha at Amanakara and Lord Sathrughna temple at meythiri are situated within a radius of 6 KMs in the same Grama Panchayath called Raamapuram in Kottayam District.
The origin of this temple, as revealed by a legend, is related to a journey that Lord Rama understook in search of mental peace. After a long, peaceful and prosperous rule of Ayodhya, Lord Sree Rama discovered that he still has not achieved mental peace and satisfaction. He decided to hand over the kingdom to his successors and left Ayodhya without informing anybody including his most beloved brother Lord Lakshmana.
Sree Rama proceeded towards South, through the old path which he trekked in searh of Sithadevi. At last he reached a beautiful place, with a gurgling stream on one side and with greenery all around. The place was surrounded by dense forest. He found it as an ideal place for prayer and meditation.
As Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shathrughna could not bear the disappearance of their beloved brother anu longer, they also left Ayodhya and pusued the path of their brother, believing that their brother would have gone towards South. When they found him they too decided to stay back with him. So Lakshmana found a wonderful place, which is today known as Koodapulam, Bharatha settled at Amanakara and Shathrughna at Methiri. Interestiglly, all these places are equidistant form one another. As years passed by, temples rose in all these places in their names.
Lord Vishnu’s incarnations in the Threthayuga are supposed to be most important among the Avthars of the Lord. The Darshan of the four Lords, Sreerama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Sthrughna, on the same day is called Nalambalam Darshanam. It is the only destination where one can reach the four deities at a total distance of 15 Kms. These temples situate in Ramapuram Grama Panchayath, in Kottayam and its importance isf highlighted in the Temple survey of 1997 of the Government of India.
Today these temples attract thousands of pilgrims during the Karkkidakam month. Moreover, it is an important stopover for the ayyappa pilgrims who alight here on their way to Sabarimala to offer prayers before the beautiful deity of Lord Rama.
The pilgrims can reach the Lord Rama temple with a two hour ride by road from Ernakulam via Piravam and Koothattukulam. From Kottayam, one can reach Ramapuram via Palai. The nalambala darshan starts from the Rama Temple at Ramapuram. The pilgrims then visits the other three temples and finally comes back to Lord Rama temple. Inside the Sree Rama temple, adjoining the main shrime there are deities of Siva Parvathi, and Saraswathi Devi. Separate temples are there, for Bhagavathi (Bhadrakali), Maha Ganapathy and Sree Hanuman.
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