How the Temple Came to Be

Here is the story of how this temple came to be built at Chembumukku.

1. Generations ago · Thiruvananthapuram

   The Meleveedu family and Kadappathala Devi

   Meleveedu was a well-known aristocratic Brahmin family in Thiruvananthapuram. They worshipped their Kuladevatha at the Kadappathala Devi Kshethram near Kawdiar. The family grew deeply worried because they had no descendants. They kept worshipping Devi and prayed for a child who could carry on the family's traditional practices and rituals.

   The head of the family then married a lady from a Nair family. They had children, but none of them were able to take up the family's upasanas and rituals. A Thekkathu, a small shrine, was built and Devi was installed on an Udaval. The head of the family then went on a pilgrimage to Kasi (Varanasi) and never returned. It is believed he drowned in the Ganges. Five generations later, a child was born into the family who would take up the spiritual path and the worship of Devi.

2. Recent generations

   The family of Gopinath and Indira

   The later generations of the family did well. They were well educated, and some worked abroad. Indira, a member of the family, married Mr. Gopinath, who worked in South Africa. Even so, the family still worried that there was no child who could carry on the spiritual practices and the worship of Devi.

   The couple had four children. The youngest, Venugopal, showed spiritual qualities from early childhood. He later became Swami Jitendriyananda Saraswathy.

3. Move to Ernakulam

   Devi comes to Chembumukku

   Mr. Gopinath and his family returned to India and settled at Chembumukku, in Thrikkakara, Ernakulam. When Venugopal was 18, he is said to have had a darshan of Devi and a revelation. Following it, Devi's idol was brought from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam.

   As the revelation directed, Devi was first worshipped by lighting a clay lamp (charathu) in the courtyard of Mr. Gopinath's home. Later a sandalwood idol was made, and elaborate poojas and rituals began. Word spread, and devotees started coming to worship Devi.

4. 19 January 1989

   The Panchaloha idol

   In the late 1980s, a devotee from Ettumanoor had been suspended from his job for 17 years and was still fighting to be reinstated. He came to the temple and prayed for Devi's grace. As Devi indicated through Swamiji, he performed poojas on Pooradam star for nine months in a row.

   He not only got his job back, but was also paid 17 years of salary in arrears.

   In gratitude, he offered a Panchaloha idol of Devi, made by the Mavelikkara Marars as Devi wished. This idol was installed (Vigraha Prathishta) on 19 January 1989.

5. 1996 – 1999

   The present temple

   Sri Venugopal then had a revelation that the idol would be reinstalled in the tenth year, to the south of where it stood. An Ashtamangala Prasnam confirmed this, and it was decided to build a temple on the southern side of the courtyard and install the Panchaloha idol by tantric rites.

   Construction of the present temple began in 1996, on land next door donated by Sri. Gopinath. The reinstallation was performed in January 1999 with the traditional Shadadhara rituals.

6. Sivarathri 2000

   Sannyasa at Rishikesh

   Following another revelation, Sri Venugopal went to Rishikesh. On Sivarathri day in 2000 he received Poorna Sannyasa Deeksha from Swami Vidyananda Giri Maharaj, head of Kailasa Ashram, and has since been known as Swami Jitendriyananda Saraswathy.

7. 6 March 2011

   The Bhajana Mandiram

   Sri Gopinath, who passed away on 21 January 2011, had started work on a Bhajana Mandiram, a hall where devotees could hold bhajans, satsangs, discourses and other spiritual gatherings. With support from devotees, the hall was completed, and Swamiji opened it to the public on 6 March 2011.