NELLUVAY DHANWANTHARI

Prathishta / Presiding Deity : Dhanwanthari
Upadevatha / Sub Deities : xx
District: Thrissur
Thaluk: xx
Panchayath: Nelluvai
Thanthri: xx
Trustee: Cochin Devaswom Board


A well known dhanwanthari temple in kerala. Temple is located at Nelluvai village, . Lord Dhanwanthari is referred to as the lord of Ayurveda, is the presiding deity here. It is believed that all type of diseaes can be cured by worshipping lord dhanwanthari. Large number of devotees comes here for this purpose.

The famous and Sacred Nelluvai Dhanvanthari Temple is situated in the Nelluvai Village in Erumappetti Panchayat under Thalappilly Taluk of Thrissur District. Nelluvai, Murangatheri, Kuttancheri and Pathiyaram are the areas included in the Nelluvai Village. The people in different cast, creed and religion live in this village with complete harmony and cooperation.

The vast and ever-green paddy field in the western side of the temple perfectly resembles the name “Nelluvai”. The small river that comes from the Machchattumala in the southern part flows calmly with the murmurs of Sthrothraganajapa. In the banks of the river, there stands Anappaara resulted from the curse of a God to an elephant. The Vadakkanchery-Kunnamkulam Road in the Northern Side looks like a thick black border in the middle of the greenish saree-like paddy field. The small hills all around the Nelluvai village stand tall as the protectors of this wonderful land from enemies.

In the western entrance of the temple, there stands two Banyan Trees that look like offering namajapa to the Dhanvanthari Moorthi. The visitor can also see two big ponds on either side. It is all refreshing to sit in the basement of the banyan trees experiencing the smooth patting of the wind that slowly blows from the western side. Attached to the pond on the northern side, there is a Kulappura Maalika.

The Dhanvanthari Moorthi is facing towards the west. There are Gopuras in the western and eastern entrances of the temple and the temple is well covered and protected by boundary walls. When we enter through the western Gopura, we can see Nadappura, Balikkalpura and a large Oottupura in the north. At the end of the north-west corner, there is a Paththaayappura. There is a rock-paved Pradakshinavazhi. In the east-south entrance corner inside the boundary wall, the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Cheruthevar (Vishnu) is situated. Inside, there is an idol of Varaha Moorthi, stage that is made out of rock and one Vilakkumaadam inside the Chuttambalam with stone-paved courtyard. There is a Kokkarani in the north-east corner situated below the Chuttambalam. You have to walk down through the pavement to bring the Theertham. In spite of not getting proper sunlight, the water inside is pure and healthy. In the south-west corner of the compound, there are idols of Lord Ayyappa, Ganapathi and Shiva facing towards the east. There is also a Vishnu idol and Salagrama.

Inside the temple, there is a Mandapam with copper sheet roof and Sanctum Sanctorum; the ever-shining God Dhanvanthari resides inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, wearing Dhanvanthari Amruthakalasham, Jalookam, Chakra and Gadha and showers blessings to the devotees. It is a general saying by the elders that seeing the Dhanvanthari Moorthi after taking bath in the pond on the northern side, gives mental purity and a healthy body all the time as this pond is well connected with the Kokkarani. There is a pathway all around the surrounding boundary wall where all the creatures belonging to the temple reside.

There is a wide road at the side of the eastern entrance. Beside the entrance on the western side, there is vast and greenish paddy field. The small temple road that starts from the Vadakkanchery-Kunnamkulam main road reaches to the main entrance of the temple passing just beside the pond on the northern side.

It is believed that the famous Guruvayur Temple and Nelluvai Temple relate to each other. One is called Guruvayupuram and the other Vayupuram. The main Deity is Vishnu in both the temples. It is believed that the pooja performed to the idol in the Guruvayur Temple was by Nandagopar; whereas the pooja offered to the one in Nelluvai Temple was by Vasudevar. Lord Guruvayurappa faces towards the east while Nelluvai Thevar faces to the west. The devotees to Lord Guruvayoorappa get relief from rheumatic diseases; on the other hand, it is strongly believed that all diseases to the eyes get relieved immediately if complete devotion is shown to the Nelluvai Thevar.

The regular Pooja in the Nelluvai Temple is performed by Annalloor Nampoothiri for the past 60 years. The land related to Nelluvai Temple fetches an overall income worth of 3000 para rice received as paattam every year. The Dhanvanthari in the Nelluvai Temple is the Paradevatha of all Ayurvedic Physicians (Vaidyas), especially Ashtavaidyas. The families of Kuttancheri Moos and their disciples perform Bhajans for one year to the Nelluvai Deity before they venture into their profession. It is also a regular practice to offer Vazhipadu by the Vaidyas before going to provide medical treatments to people for major diseases.

The most important Vazhipadu offered to the Dhanvanthari is Mukkudi. After offering Mukkudi as Nivedya to the Deity, the Prasadam is received after the morning pooja. If this Prasadam it is taken inside with full devotion, it is believed that all abdominal and gastric disorders get disappeared.

The morning pooja in the Nelluvai Temple starts with Abhishekam and consists of three poojas-Ushappooja, Pantheeradi Pooja and Uchchappooja after the Abhishekam. The pooja in the evening consists of Deepaaraadhana and Aththaazhappooja.

History of this temple

The idol that is worshipped in Nelluvai Temple is of God “Dhanvanthari”. God Dhanvanthari who came out during Paalaazhi Madhanam stays here in this temple with a view to protect the world from all dangers and ill-doings. There is a story behind the Dhanvanthari Idol and Cheruthevar:

Sri. K.M. Shankara Iyear, in his book Nelluvai Shathakam has narrated this story in detail. Long back, as the existing idol in Nelluvai Temple got damaged, it was decided to make a new idol, and accordingly, the idol work was carried out from a suitable stone on a small hill at a place called Muringaththeri. After finishing the work of this idol, a procession was arranged involving all the devotees in the village with all the traditional poojas and they were proceeding to the temple where the idol was supposed to be fixed. During their passage to the temple, the Ashwini Devatas at once came in front of the procession and they handed over an idol which is believed to be offered pooja by Vasudevar, and informed the people that this idol should be fixed in the temple, and the Ashwini Devatas got disappeared from the site. Accordingly, the Sadhus fixed this idol in the Sanctum Sanctorum of Nelluvai Temple. The Vaishnava idol which was carved out in the Muringaththeri Hill was fixed in a newly arranged small temple in a nearby village called Cheruthevar Parambu. Later on, a small temple was constructed in the Nelluvai Temple itself just beside the main Sanctum Sanctorum and this Vaishnava Idol was re-fixed in this new place. The idol that is fixed in the main Sanctum Sanctorum has a very long history.

The Dhanvanthari Moorthi that is worshipped in the Nelluvai Temple is supposed to be the God of Physicians (Ayurveda). It is believed that they will be provided with good and favorable treatment results to their patients if they devote completely to the Dhanvanthari Moorthi with full Bhakthi and commitment. The famous and notable physicians who performed Bhajans to the Dhanvanthari Moorthi include Kuttancheri Moos, Vaidyarathnam P.S. Warrier, Aryavaidyan P.V. Rama Warrier, etc., and they excelled in their profession too with the help of the Deity. Even in this modern era, the Ayurvedic Physicians, before stepping into their profession, have been performing Bhajans in the temple and reading Ashtamgahridaya, which isthe basic and prime book of Ayurveda. It is highly believed that this offering will give them more knowledge and help is getting more success in their profession. The well-knowledgeable and all famous poet Melpathur Bhattathiri offered Bhajans to Lord Guruvayoorappa and wrote the famous poem Narayaneeyam and got relieved from rheumatoid arthritis. Similarly, it is said that the famous Astrologist and Poet Vidvan Machatt Ilayath who performed Bhajans before the Dhanvanthari Moorthi in Nelluvai Temple and wrote the poetry Sthrothra Panchashika got complete relief from his skin disease. The poem Sthrothra Panchashika was offered to the God on the 1st of Malayalam month Kumbham. This day is being celebrated as the Sthrothra Panchashika Day every year. The Dhanvanthari Asthothara Namajapa and Sthrothra Panchashika parayana is believed to be worthwhile to the children and elders alike for their better prosperity and to increas their wisdom and for removing all their physical and mental illnesses.

The Temple Renovation Committee (Khethroddharana Samithi) was formed on January 10, 1971. Under this Committee’s supervision and control, the required fund had been raised and got the damages of the temple repaired. When the Temple Authorities found it difficult to carry out the normal activities of the temple, they approached the Kochi Devaswom Board Authorities with a request to take over the temple. Consequently, The Kochi Devaswom Board took over the temple administration and appointed a Temple Trust, to carry out the routine activities of the Temple. Thereafter, the Kochi Devaswom Board directly took over the temple administration since 1st May 1979.

In the past, from Thulam 1st to Thulam 12 every year, a Thevar Seva was carried out in the temple. Kuttanjeri Moos was supposed to be its originator. During this period, Navagam and panchagavyam were offered as Nivedyam and a grant feast was served with the involvement of the whole people from the society.

The Niramala Vazhipadu was first started in Kollavarsham 1098 in Nelluvai Temple. Sri. Kuttancheri Moos was the then President of the Niramala Committee and he worked very hard to carry out this special pooja. During those days, Malavilakku, Nadasvaram, Ezhunnellippu, Thayampaka and Panchavadyam were the important things that took place in the Niramala Vazhipadu. The Niramala got resumed in the year 1962 under the leadership of a Committee headed by Messrs. Nelluvai K.N. Nambeesan, N.S. Ganapathi Iyer with the full cooperation of the general public.