Kunnikkuru/Manchadikkuru [1 Attachment]

[Guest guest]

Dear Gopalkrishnan-ji, Pranam.Very good question.My

mother always used to collect Manjadi/Kunni seeds from our Manjadi trees at

home and take it to Guruvayoor to put it in to the "Manjaadi Uruli" for Unnikrishnan to play! The bright red seeds have a mystical aura that fills your heart and mind & I

am very fond of the - Manjaadi Vaaral- ritual!Incidentally the photo you attached is taken by me in 2001. Here I attach the original version of the photo. I do not who is the child and the man in the photo and hope they will enjoy seeing it too. Regarding the story behind the Manjaadi/Kunni at Guruvayur, I came across this article in a blog.----------------------

MANJADIKURU

Anjali Menon

http://luckyredseeds.blogspot.com/

Manjadikuru/Lucky Red Seeds are found in Krishna temples in

Kerala. In fact nowadays, that is the only place we see them. The origin of

this practice lies in the folklore of the Guruvayur temple. The temple of

Guruvayur houses the deity of Vishnu*, and this particular idol is believed to

have been worshipped by Lord Krishna** in Dwaraka. The first time I set eyes on

Manjadikuru is in this temple.

 

The story goes thus… a long time ago, there lived a woman in a northern

province of Kerala. She was an ardent devotee of Krishna and aspired to someday

visit the temple in Guruvayur. She wanted to carry offerings to the temple as

most people did but she was too poor to be able to afford anything. But she

knew of an old tree that shed beautiful glossy red seeds. Fascinated by their

beauty she began to collect them, hoping to one day carry them with her to the

temple as a gift to the Lord. One by one she would pick them from the ground,

treating each one like a precious gem. Polishing them and keeping them safe

from the rain and the dust. In her eyes each of them glowed with warmth and

radiance. She eagerly awaited the day when the Lord would see them. Others

laughed at her and called her mad to pick the worthless seeds but she continued

to do what she believed in.

 

Over a year the collection was built up and she had a large pouch full of

Manjadikuru. Her eyes filled with glee as she held them close to her while she

slept at night. Making up her mind to take them to the temple, she set out on a

journey. Leaving the safety of her home and her loved ones, she set out on foot

towards the temple. Her home was in a hilly province and she had to traverse

rivers and deep forests as she moved towards her destination. She met people on

the way. Some of them discouraged her. Some of them applauded her. But she

didn’t care. Her mind was set on the temple and its deity and with

single-minded focus she trudged on. Many people told her “this is not the wayâ€

but she followed her instinct and a force within her guided her ahead.

 

Every morning she would wake up with stiff joints, through the day her body

would ache and at night she would collapse on the wayside in a tired stupor. In

her mind she was aware that she may never be able to do this again in her life

but in her eyes was a dream and on her lips was a smile. Forty four daunting

days later, she arrives in the temple city of Guruvayur. Unfamiliar and tired

she stumbles through the streets, forcing her body to make the last mile too.

 

Finally she arrives at the temple portals. She hears people talk amongst

themselves about the special day at the temple. Apparently the day was the

first of that month and the local ruler or Naduvaazhi would visit the temple on

the first of every month. To display his devotion, he would submit an elephant

every month as an offering to Krishna. Hearing these tales, the woman carefully

makes her way to the inner precincts with her pouch.

 

The officers of the Naaduvazhi are clearing people from the path to make way

for the ruler. In their powerdrunk arrogance and pettiness, they are unable to

distinguish between wayfarers and devotees. Mercilessly they insult devotees

and trample on children to get them out of their way. The woman tries to

balance her pouch of Manjadikuru so that she doesn’t lose them but the officers

insult and mock her and physically shove her out of the area. The trumpeting of

the Naaduvazhi’s elephant is heard. With a last push from the insolent

officers, the woman falls down and the pouch falls open and all the red seeds

get scattered all over. A tear from the woman's eye fall on the temple floor.

 

Immediately the Naaduvazhi’s elephant goes beserk and starts to run amok in the

temple. People run for their lives as the mad elephant starts to destroy things

within the temple. Unable to control the elephant, the Naaduvazhi prays to

Krishna for a solution. A voice is heard from within the temple - “where is

my Manjadikuru?†"where is my devotee, who you have insulted and hurt?â€

"where is my gift that she lovingly put together?â€

 

Realizing their folly, the people apologize to the woman and start to gather

the red seeds that are scattered all over. Filling her pouch for her, she is

escorted to the sanctum sanctorum with her lucky red seeds. After her

submission of the offering, the elephant returns to normal. In memory of that

devotee’s offering, even to this day, a big uruli full of Manjadikuru are kept

within the temple.

---I hope some of our GuruDevs can shed more light on behind this beautiful ritual like any other 'aithihyam', why we pick the Manjaadi three times and what are the phalam etc. Om Namo Narayanaya:SunilGopala Krishnan <gopalkrishna25guruvayur Sent: Mon, March 8, 2010 6:54:58 AM[Guruvayur] Kunnikkuru/Manchadikkuru [1 Attachment]

 

 

Dear Gurudevs,

 

Attached is a picture from Guruvayur Temple , a child playing with Manchadikkuru . It is belived that children will become more smart and naughty like the Kannan of the period he spend in Gokulam.

 

Is there any stories / Eithihyams about it ? If yes , please write for the benifit of those who do not know it

 

Gopalakrishnan

 

The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Homepage. http://in.. com/

 

 

 

1 of 1 Photo(s)

[Guest guest]

Suniji ,

 

May Lord Guruvayoorappan shower all his blessings on you and your family for

sharing this Aithihyam .I too have heard the story from my mother - the part

after the woman entered into the temple. The Naduvazhy in the story was a

Zamorine Raja and it was a custom that when a new Zamorine Raja assumes the

power , he has to donate an elephant to Guruvayoorappan on his first visit to

the temple. Zamorine Raja and Mallissery Namboothiri were the joint Ooralans of

Guruvayur Temple before it came under the Goverment Rule after the fire in 1970.

 

Gopalakrishnan

 

 

 

guruvayur , Sunil Menon <menon_sunil wrote:

>

> Dear Gopalkrishnan-ji, Pranam.

>

> Very good question.

>

> My

> mother always used to collect Manjadi/Kunni seeds from our Manjadi trees at

> home and take it to Guruvayoor to put it in to the " Manjaadi Uruli " for

Unnikrishnan to play!

>

> The bright red seeds have a mystical aura that fills your heart and mind & I

> am very fond of the - Manjaadi Vaaral- ritual!

>

> Incidentally the photo you attached is taken by me in 2001. Here I attach the

original version of the photo. I do not who is the child and the man in the

photo and hope they will enjoy seeing it too.

>

>

> Regarding the story behind the Manjaadi/Kunni at Guruvayur, I came across this

article in a blog.

>

> ----------------------

>

> MANJADIKURU

> Anjali Menon

> http://luckyredseeds.blogspot.com/

> Manjadikuru/Lucky Red Seeds are found in Krishna temples in

> Kerala. In fact nowadays, that is the only place we see them. The origin of

> this practice lies in the folklore of the Guruvayur temple. The temple of

> Guruvayur houses the deity of Vishnu*, and this particular idol is believed to

> have been worshipped by Lord Krishna** in Dwaraka. The first time I set eyes

on

> Manjadikuru is in this temple.

>

> The story goes thus… a long time ago, there lived a woman in a northern

> province of Kerala. She was an ardent devotee of Krishna and aspired to

someday

> visit the temple in Guruvayur. She wanted to carry offerings to the temple as

> most people did but she was too poor to be able to afford anything. But she

> knew of an old tree that shed beautiful glossy red seeds. Fascinated by their

> beauty she began to collect them, hoping to one day carry them with her to the

> temple as a gift to the Lord. One by one she would pick them from the ground,

> treating each one like a precious gem. Polishing them and keeping them safe

> from the rain and the dust. In her eyes each of them glowed with warmth and

> radiance. She eagerly awaited the day when the Lord would see them. Others

> laughed at her and called her mad to pick the worthless seeds but she

continued

> to do what she believed in.

>

> Over a year the collection was built up and she had a large pouch full of

> Manjadikuru. Her eyes filled with glee as she held them close to her while she

> slept at night. Making up her mind to take them to the temple, she set out on

a

> journey. Leaving the safety of her home and her loved ones, she set out on

foot

> towards the temple. Her home was in a hilly province and she had to traverse

> rivers and deep forests as she moved towards her destination. She met people

on

> the way. Some of them discouraged her. Some of them applauded her. But she

> didn’t care. Her mind was set on the temple and its deity and with

> single-minded focus she trudged on. Many people told her “this is not the

wayâ€

> but she followed her instinct and a force within her guided her ahead.

>

> Every morning she would wake up with stiff joints, through the day her body

> would ache and at night she would collapse on the wayside in a tired stupor.

In

> her mind she was aware that she may never be able to do this again in her life

> but in her eyes was a dream and on her lips was a smile. Forty four daunting

> days later, she arrives in the temple city of Guruvayur. Unfamiliar and tired

> she stumbles through the streets, forcing her body to make the last mile too.

>

> Finally she arrives at the temple portals. She hears people talk amongst

> themselves about the special day at the temple. Apparently the day was the

> first of that month and the local ruler or Naduvaazhi would visit the temple

on

> the first of every month. To display his devotion, he would submit an elephant

> every month as an offering to Krishna. Hearing these tales, the woman

carefully

> makes her way to the inner precincts with her pouch.

>

> The officers of the Naaduvazhi are clearing people from the path to make way

> for the ruler. In their powerdrunk arrogance and pettiness, they are unable to

> distinguish between wayfarers and devotees. Mercilessly they insult devotees

> and trample on children to get them out of their way. The woman tries to

> balance her pouch of Manjadikuru so that she doesn’t lose them but the

officers

> insult and mock her and physically shove her out of the area. The trumpeting

of

> the Naaduvazhi’s elephant is heard. With a last push from the insolent

> officers, the woman falls down and the pouch falls open and all the red seeds

> get scattered all over. A tear from the woman's eye fall on the temple floor.

>

> Immediately the Naaduvazhi’s elephant goes beserk and starts to run amok in

the

> temple. People run for their lives as the mad elephant starts to destroy

things

> within the temple. Unable to control the elephant, the Naaduvazhi prays to

> Krishna for a solution. A voice is heard from within the temple - “where is

> my Manjadikuru?†" where is my devotee, who you have insulted and hurt?â€

> " where is my gift that she lovingly put together?â€

>

> Realizing their folly, the people apologize to the woman and start to gather

> the red seeds that are scattered all over. Filling her pouch for her, she is

> escorted to the sanctum sanctorum with her lucky red seeds. After her

> submission of the offering, the elephant returns to normal. In memory of that

> devotee’s offering, even to this day, a big uruli full of Manjadikuru are

kept

> within the temple.---

>

>

> I hope some of our GuruDevs can shed more light on behind this beautiful

ritual like any other 'aithihyam', why we pick the Manjaadi three times and

what are the phalam etc.

>

> Om Namo Narayanaya:

>

> Sunil

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> Gopala Krishnan <gopalkrishna25

> guruvayur

> Mon, March 8, 2010 6:54:58 AM

> [Guruvayur] Kunnikkuru/Manchadikkuru [1 Attachment]

>

>

> [Attachment(s) from Gopala Krishnan included below]

> Dear Gurudevs,

>

> Attached is a picture from Guruvayur Temple , a child playing with

Manchadikkuru . It is belived that children will become more smart and naughty

like the Kannan of the period he spend in Gokulam.

>

> Is there any stories / Eithihyams about it ? If yes , please write for the

benifit of those who do not know it

>

> Gopalakrishnan

>

> The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Homepage.

http://in.. com/

>