HISTORY OF SHREE TIRUMALA DEVASWOM SAUNSTHAN, COCHIN

Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

Foreword.

This is a faithful reproduction in English of a well-researched chapter from a

Marathi book titled ‘Saraswat Bhushan’ authored by Shri Mathastha
Ganesh Ramchandra Sharma (referred to as author hereafter), published in
the year 1950 and printed by Popular Book Depot, Mumbai. I came across a
copy of this book in a local library in Margao, Goa, and I am doubtful of
finding any copies of this book anywhere else except possibly in dust-covered
shelves of some remote old libraries of Maharashtra’s cities. The author was
so fascinated by the ‘Sthalapurana’ and the turbulent history of the famous
Shri Tirumala Devaswom Saunsthan ( Shri Venkataramana Temple) of
Cochin, that he devoted an entire chapter of his book for this temple. It is
nothing short of a Hollywood thriller.

I must, however, admit at the outset that I have yet to visit this temple and
though I have relations in the state of Kerala, none seems to be aware of the
temple’s origin and history. Should this article spawn dissenting voices and
conflicting versions of the temples history, I claim immunity to any criticism
with reference to the sequence of events and dates as I am a mere translator
of an already recorded version. But I shall consider my effort well rewarded
if this article stirs some interest amongst the members of our community
towards our greatest heritage – our Temples.

The names of some of the villages and towns mentioned in this story may
seem to be mispronounced and/or misspelled as neither the original author
nor I have had any exposure to Malayalam language and accents. I welcome
any corrections in feedback by readers. So also some of the customs and
traditions to which I am a stranger, again open to corrections.

Note: The acronym C.E. has been used here to denote the year. It means Current Era. In
modern usage, some sections of society were not comfortable using AD. AD stands for
anno domini, Latin for “in the year of the lord,” and refers specifically to the birth of
Jesus Christ. Hence the more acceptable CE and BCE (Before Current Era) are being
used.

The narration begins:

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

The Exodus

The wave of terror let loose by the Portuguese conquerors of Goa to forcibly
proselytize the Hindus in the early sixteenth century resulted in flight of
population from the Goan towns and villages, by sea route to southern
shores of India. These refugees tried Cannanore and Calicut before choosing
Cochin as comparatively hospitable for settling down. Among them were
about three hundred Gowd Saraswat Brahmin families who commanded
respect from the rest of the crowd owing to their superior upbringing,
education, wealth and shrewd intelligence. They were fiercely loyal to their
religion and their Gods. Among them was a distinguished Priest (Bhat)
whose knowledge of scriptures was unsurpassed and who was very
meticulous in his performance of temple rituals. He had an idol of Shri
Venkatesh as his chief deity and such was his aura of holiness that the rest of
the folk came to regard Shri Venkatesh as their own protector God. The
other castes too adopted Him as their own Lord and began to worship Him
everywhere. This Bhat family consisted of four brothers of whom the eldest
looked after the daily pooja and archana routines of the home temple. He
was called as Poojari. The second brother was versed in scriptures, Vedas,
Puranas, and their interpretations. He was known as the Shastri. The third
specialized in the performance of Yajnas and came to be called as the Tantri.
The fourth brother looked after mundane affairs of managing the household
and business.

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

Among the other families, the richest was the Kamaths who settled six miles
away from Cochin at a place called Andikkadav, which was a jungle those
days. The Kamaths bought this place from the Raja of Cochin and spent a
considerable sum to develop and make it habitable. The Kamaths virtually
ruled this place by virtue of their phenomenal wealth and influence. Their
power waned only after the British conquest of Southern India, but the
customary honors are still accorded to them as per records. Chief among
these honors is one called ‘Kutthuvilakku’, which is a torch made of a metal
lamp containing an eight inch broad cloth wick, and this lamp is mounted on
a six-foot wooden stave. A small piece of Banana plant stem is placed
horizontally on this lamp when it is lit. Two such lamps are carried on either
side to light the way for the Kamath when he arrives to grace the temple
functions. This Kamath family came to be known as ‘Anandapurathi’
Kamaths on account of their popularity and near royal power.

Next in importance was the Pai family who settled in a village called
Barampalli, about ten miles north of Cochin, which they purchased from the
ruler of Paravur. The Pais developed this village so well that they were
called ‘Kartav’, a title equivalent to ‘lord’, by the local populace.

The rest of the GSBs set up home at various places around Cochin as far up
as Quilon, but two families chose to remain in Cochin. These were Mhala
Pai and Baba Prabhu. These two men purchased a large tract of land from
the Raja of Cochin and established a well-demarcated estate after eliciting
important concessions from the Raja for protection of their rights to this
estate. This place came to be known as Konkankeri of which Pais and

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

Prabhus were virtual rulers. As the British influence grew these families
sensed a threat to their religious freedom and willed all their land in favor of
the Cochin Temple to migrate to a place called Tharoor, ten miles south of
Cochin. Here again they purchased a huge estate from the Raja of Cochin,
which was called ‘Chertalai‘ division. This division was later conceded to
the king of Travancore by the Raja of Cochin in the year 1765 C.E. Paravur
was also later merged into Travancore through conquest.

The Revelation

Some time during the 14th Century there existed a small kingdom by name of
Vidyanagar at the foothill of Tirumala, commonly called as Nagar. The ruler
of this state was a great devotee of Lord Venkatesh. This king was in the
habit of climbing the hill every morning to visit the temple and pray the lord
before starting the day. Eventually he began to long for the Lord’s darshan
to be available at his own palace. The yearning preyed upon him and began
to affect his health and mind. The Lord must have heard his supplications as
He appeared in his dream and said to him “A sculptor will come to you
tomorrow seeking employment. Get him to fashion an idol of mine and
install it in your home. I shall reside therein.” The king was skeptical of the
dream until an artisan was ushered in his presence next morning, seeking a
job. The king remembered the dream and inquired if he could make an idol
of Lord Venkatesh. The visitor replied in the affirmative and was
immediately provided with all the tools and a secluded spot to work
undisturbed. An hour later the king went to the place to check upon the

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

progress of work of the sculptor and found the room vacant. All he found
was a beautiful idol, about the length of an arm, standing in the middle of the
room. There was no sign of the sculptor. It is the same idol, which is
worshipped presently in Cochin Temple. No one knows yet of what matter
the idol is made of. Some say it is pure gold, while others maintain that it is
jade. The people of Cochin are inclined to the jade school of thought.

The King was overjoyed. He lost no time in consecrating the idol and
installing it in his palace. He personally supervised the daily pooja rituals
and devoted himself entirely to the service of the Lord. His kingdom
prospered. Trade and commerce flourished. The subjects became rich. The
king knew that all this was the divine influence of Shri Venkatesh. This
glory lasted for about half a century. Eventually people grew arrogant and
began indulging in sin. They forgot their duty to the Lord and their fellow-
beings. The retribution was swift and terrible. A raging fire destroyed the
kingdom. People fled the land. One of the palace priests took away the idol
before fleeing but could not carry it very far. He dumped it into an
abandoned well nearby and vanished. The idol remained in the well for the
next fifty years.

The Resurrection

As coincidence would have it, Shri Raghavendra Tirth Swamiji of

Kumbhakonam Math of Madhwa School arrived at Tirupati around this time
and camped. The same night Lord appeared in his dream and said “ I am in

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

an abandoned well at the foot of the hill. Get me out and take me with you.”
The Swamiji went in search of the well and found it so covered with wild
and spiny vegetation that he gave up the quest of the idol and turned back.
But he found a large cobra blocking his way. It would not allow him to
move away from the well however much he tried. He understood the omen.
Fortunately a village laborer was passing by and the Swamiji offered him a
handsome reward for venturing into the well and bringing the idol up. The
fellow hacked his way down the well and found the idol. The Swamiji was
delighted and got a pedestal and ornamental stand made for the Lord. He
kept the idol with him and performed the daily worship rituals with special
attention.

After staying in Tirupati a few more days Swamiji wound up camp and
proceeded to Rameshwaram and thence to Cochin via Quilon. He was forced
to stay in Cochin for he had reached it at nightfall. He was in a quandary as
the local Nair folk showed no inclination to help or serve him. Shri Mhala
Pai received news of Swamiji’s arrival and rushed to invite him to his place
and showered great hospitality upon his holy guest. The Swamiji was so
overwhelmed that he asked Pai what he desired in return. Mhala Pai replied
that the few days he had spent at Swamiji’s feet during this visit were the
happiest in his life, and that a temple should be built in Cochin to be a
regular camp in Swamiji’s pilgrimage itinerary. Swamiji promised to think it
over and left Cochin for Calicut. Here again the Lord appeared in his dream
and said “You go back to Cochin and turn me over to those Gowd Saraswat
Brahmins. I wish to be with them.” The Swamiji, though unwilling, could
not disobey the Lord. He sent a message to Mhala Pai who immediately

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

rushed to Calicut and brought Swamiji back to Cochin. A meeting was held
with the members of the community in which it was decided that the idol
would be placed in a large golden plate and heaped with gold coins till it was
fully submerged. The plate with the gold coins would then be presented to
the Swamiji in exchange for the idol. Swamiji accepted the offer. A large
golden plate was brought. Mhala Pai and Prabhu, two richest Brahmins
began showering the coins on the idol until their large bags became empty.
But the idol’s head was still visible over the heap. They were amazed, as the
bags of gold coins they had brought contained far more than the required
volume to cover the idol. A few wise men from the community who were
watching the ceremony advised them to invite the entire community to
contribute their mite to the heap. The suggestion was accepted and the
community members, who were quite poor compared to the big two, gave
whatever they had to the Lord, and lo, the idol was submerged. They
understood that the Lord wished to belong to the whole community.

It was decided unanimously that the temple in which the idol is consecrated
should belong to the community. The idol was accordingly installed in the
year 1599 a.d . (saka
1521 as per Hindu calendar, in the month of Chaitra) at the hands of the
ruling pontiff of Shri Kashi Math Saunsthan, Shrimad Yadavendra Tirtha
Swamiji. (The author mentions the name as Sudhindra Tirtha which appears
to be a mix-up with the present incumbent, as reference to the succession
tree of the Math contains the name as Yadavendra Tirtha who was the
pontiff during this period.) The pontiff appointed administrative and
executive panels to manage the affairs of the temple and laid down the

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

guidelines for devotees’ and divine services. His holiness explained to the
disciple community the seven rituals which, performed regularly, would
enhance the Lord’s aura and the temple’s glory. These were (and still are)
Aachaara (conduct as per the brahminical precepts), Tapas (penance),
Chants (from Vedas), Homa ( Yajna, yaga, etc.), Namana (Praises chanted
or sung of the Lord, which include stotra, japa and bhajan), Utsava
(Celebrations of festivals) and Annadana (feeding the Brahmins and
pilgrims). This is true of every temple. His holiness laid stress upon the
tremendous responsibility and care needed in the service of the Lord as if
one were playing fire. Having enjoined the followers not to stray from the
righteous path, His holiness departed from Cochin. The temple began to
function smoothly and soon trade and commerce of the town and the
surrounding villages began to flourish and folk prospered. The grateful
devotees showered money and gifts in the coffers of the temple, and the
temple grew rich. Its fame spread and attracted new devotees from far and
wide. This posed interesting challenges in its wake, which are related
hereafter.

The Royal ‘Visitations’

The fame of the temple brought two illustrious visitors to its doors – The
Rajah of Cochin and the King of Travancore. As the temple on the border of
the two states and the borders not being in any dispute, the King of
Travancore was free to visit the temple even though it was in the territory of
Cochin. As they watched the temple’s divine influence radiating prosperity

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

all round, the two kings became covetous of its power. The King of
Travancore, who was a frequent visitor to the temple, often sounded the
trustees of the temple about shifting the temple to his kingdom promising to
pledge his power and wealth to serve the Lord. The Raja of Cochin wanted
the temple to be shifted to his palace for its obvious benefits. The trustees
were not receptive to either. The Raja began to scheme for stealing the idol
from the temple.

Another incident happened in the meantime to fan the unholy desire of both
royalties. It is the practice in all South Indian Hindu temples to draw a
curtain (known as ‘Nada’ in those parts) in the garbhagraha (Sanctum
Sanctorum) to block the idol from public view following the afternoon
worship until six p.m. at which time the door is again opened and curtain
lifted to allow devotees the darshan of the Lord. As a strict rule the ‘Nada’ is
not to be lifted under any circumstance nor any priest may touch the idol
while the ‘Nada’ is drawn. It so happened on a fateful day that the King of
Travancore arrived at the temple a little late in the afternoon just after the
‘Nada’ was drawn and the door of Sanctum was closed. The priest,
unwilling to disappoint the royal devotee, took the liberty of opening the
sanctum door and removing the ‘Nada’ to afford the King a ‘darshan’. But
now he faced another dilemma. The king had to be given ‘Gandhaprasad’
which is a small bit of sandalwood paste and a flower off the idol. But it was
forbidden to touch the idol once ‘Nada’ is drawn! Even the crusty priest had
not the courage to breach this rule. He had to think of a way out. He
remembered that he had a flower in his tuft (Shikha or commonly called
Shendi). He removed it surreptitiously and went though the usual motion of

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

removing a flower from the idol’s head (without touching it) and gave the
flower to the king. But he was not prepared for what ensued. As he was
about to return to the sanctum he was stopped in his tracks by the harsh
query from the King – “Tell me, o priest, does the idol have hair on its
head?” The priest’s heart sank. He cursed his tuft for shedding the hair.
Words came involuntarily out of his mouth – “Yes”. “Fine” replied the
King, “I shall be here tomorrow at daybreak when you bare the idol for the
ceremonial ablutions. I wish to be shown the hair on its head.” The priest
was trapped. He said in despair – “so be it.”

The priest gave up all hope. He prayed the Lord to forgive him his
foolhardiness and prayed for a miracle. He knew he did not deserve Lord’s
mercy after what he had done. His sole hope was that the Lord was merciful
even to sinners and he spent the whole night praying. He wrote his will
secretly and handed it to his wife next morning before arriving at the temple
for the morning rituals. The King was already present and seated, with a
stern countenance. The priest went in and after removing the flowers that
adorned the idol, brought it and placed it in full view of the King and his
retinue. The King inspected the idol and was flabbergasted. The idol sported
a lovely mop of black hair of the exact size found by the king on the earlier
day. The King subjected it to every test to detect any foul play. But the hair
was real and belonged to the idol. The priest fell upon his knees and wept in
gratitude. This miracle doubled King’s yearning to have the idol in his
kingdom.

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

THE ASSAULT

The news of the miracle spread like wildfire and reached the Raja of Cochin.
Normally a sane ruler, he allowed his unholy desire to get the better of him.
The untold wealth of the temple and its inexhaustible source, the idol, were
now his sole obsession and he began to scheme for seizing the idol by any
means, fair or foul. He communicated an order to one of the trustees of the
temple, by name of Devar Kini, a wealthy merchant who owned a
flourishing textile business in Matancheri, that, effective immediately, all
requirement of Jaggery for all celebrations at his palace was to be supplied
by the Saraswat community. When Devar Kini spoke to the community
leaders about this order they were resentful and refused to accept it. Devar
Kini had no option but to inform the Raja of community’s resentment, but he
offered to bear the entire cost himself as a palliative. The Raja was livid at
this intransigence. He decided to teach the community an object lesson by
making an example of poor Devar Kini. He sent a regiment of soldiers under
a few captans after briefing them about the mission. This regiment and the
captains entered Matancheri ostensibly to shop around and the captains went
to Devar Kini’s mall and asked to be shown some silk. The unsuspecting
merchant was glad to display his ware and soon was busy extolling the
various silks he had spread before the captains, when one of them suddenly
drew a sword and beheaded him in one stroke. The severed head was
wrapped in a silk cloth and dispatched to the Raja.

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

This terrible slaughter led to a pandemonium in the town and the Saraswats
knew what was coming. Their first act was to remove the idol from the
temple and flee. They hid it in the house of a sympathetic European
gentleman whose house was in the Dutch territory of Cochin where the Raja
had no jurisdiction. The Raja’s marauding soldiers sacked and pillaged the
temple. They looted everything from money and gold to even utensils and
cooking vessels, and carried them to the palace. An estimated wealth of Rs
34 lakhs (at 1780 C.E. price levels, which gives the idea of the wealth of the
temple!) was plundered in one day. The Raja eagerly searched the entire loot
for the idol but could not find it. He sent spies to locate the idol and soon
leant that it was in the Dutch territory. He approached the Dutch governor
with a demand to institute a search for the idol and its return to his palace,
claiming that it was his property. The Saraswats were not sure of Dutch
governors co-operation, hence decided to move the idol to Tharoor, which
belonged to the state of Travancore. But here again they were not safe as
Tharoor was within two miles of the Cochin border, within striking distance
from Cochin. They spent three uneasy years in Tharoor before finally
shifting the idol to Alleppey with the permission of the Travancore King,
where there was a Venkateshwar temple of Saraswats, and installed it in the
Agrashala. This was in the year 1783. The next sixty years during which the
idol remained here proved most prosperous for the state of Travancore.

The loss of the idol brought the Raja of Cochin back to his senses. The
enormity of his crime sank in and he was wracked with guilt. He repented
his crime against the Lord and begged forgiveness of the Saraswats who
were still in Cochin. He entreated them to get the idol back to Cochin and

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

promised not only to restore the looted wealth and more, but also offered to
place the state’s resources at the behest of the temple. The Cochin Saraswats
sensed his sincere repentance and were sympathetic. The King of
Travancore, however, was on the alert. He knew that the Cochin lobby was
strong enough to coax their counterparts in Alleppey to take the idol back.
He sent his emissaries to Alleppey to dissuade the trustees from letting the
idol go back. He promised all royal support and offered a new permanent
temple to be constructed for the idol. He received good support from a
sizable section of the trustees. But the pressure from Cochin grew and they
repeatedly applied to the King of Travancore for permission for return of the
idol. But the King was in no mood to give up the goose laying the golden
eggs.

THE TUG OF WAR

As years passed inevitable changes took place. The Raja of Cochin wasted
away in remorse and took his sorrow to his grave. His son, the crown prince,
succeeded him but was soon stricken with a serious ailment. His medical
advisors diagnosed it as a rheumatic Hermien disease and soothsayers
attributed it to divine wrath. The curse was upon the royal family and its
generations. To add to his misery the British East India Company
established their sovereignty over South India and placed Cochin under
British Resident Colonel Munro. The Raja lost his powers. The astrologers
gave their verdict that the royal family was on its way to extinction and the
only hope was the return and consecration of the Lord in Cochin. He wrote

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

to Col. Munro requesting his intervention for procuring the idol, but got a
reply that the Company would not, as a matter of policy, intervene to in
matters that took place prior to its advent. In the meantime King of
Travancore having no heirs had allowed his queen to rule the state to groom
her for succession. The Cochin Saraswats appealed to and persuaded her to
allow the return of the idol, but the Dewan (prime minister) of the state
strongly objected to the decision. He succeeded in convincing Col. Munro
that the idol should never be allowed out of Alleppey, and posted guards
around the temple whose duty was to frisk every priest with his belongings
and ensure that no idol was taken out of the temple. The trustees were asked
to give an undertaking that no property of the temple would be taken out
without written authority from either Col. Munro or the Dewan. The Dewan
was a shrewd administrator. He persuaded the trustees of the temple to plan
for a new large temple for the Lord. But the community from Cochin would
not hear of it. To resolve this deadlock, the clever Dewan invited the then
ruling pontiff of Kashi Math Saunsthan, Srimad Sumatindra Tirth Swamiji,
to Alleppey, and got his holiness to support the move for a new temple. The
Pontiff, after hearing both sides, gave his ruling that the idol should be
moved to Cochin, failing which, a temple should soon be constructed at
Alleppey to house the idol permanently. The Cochin lobby had no answer to
this poser. They saw no way of getting the idol back to Cochin considering
the security measures at Alleppey. They reluctantly gave their consent for a
new temple at Alleppey.

The Travancore government and the people celebrated their victory and
without wasting further time started the construction at a vast tract of land

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

made available by the state for the purpose. Wood was provided free for the
temple. Government’s own staff was ordered to lend a hand in the
construction work. The Dewan himself was present daily at the site to watch
the progress of work. After about three years of relentless drive the temple
was complete and ready. Soon rumors began to float around that the idol had
already been smuggled into Cochin. The Dewan, along with a British
commercial agent by name of Crawford and metal evaluators of repute went
to inspect the idol. Their individual reports to the King again deepen the
mystery surrounding the idol. The Dewan averred that the idol was made of
ruby. Crawford gave his opinion that it was pure jade. The evaluators
claimed it was pure gold and others were inclined to an alloy of five metals.
But they were unanimous in their opinion that the idol was genuine. The
date for consecration was set after consultation with eminent astrologers and
security was redoubled to prevent any skullduggery. The ceremony itself
was to be conducted in the august presence of the then ruling pontiff of Shri
Kashi Math Saunsthan, Shrimad Bhuvanendra Tirth Swamiji and graced by
the presence of the King of Travancore and the royal entourage. Devotees
poured in from all parts of the Kerala and Karnataka through land and sea
routes. Every vehicle and every boat was searched and questioned. The boats
from Cochin were not allowed entry to prevent possible clashes. The Cochin
folk, however, got round this declaring that they were from Calicut and such
other places. Finally the D-day arrived. The consecration of the idol was
performed in the new temple amidst great fanfare. Travancore devotees were
in ecstasy. The year was 1852 C.E.

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

THE GREAT ESCAPE

It was however, the blackest day for the Raja of Cochin and his
sympathizers in the Saraswat community. The Raja was inconsolable. The
last hope to which he had clung all along had now vanished. He had built up
a reputation to be a fair, wise and kind ruler who was paying for the sins of
his father. The Saraswats of Cochin had grown to like him and trusted his
sincerity. The decided to support him to the hilt and began to formulate a
new scheme to get the idol back in spite of its consecration. They secretly
confabulated with their counterparts in Travancore and were delighted to
find that the majority of the Alleppey temple trustees yearned to go back to
Cochin. This ensured fairly strong support for their schemes.

The Raja, in the meantime, decided to undergo the severest penance to get
the curse lifted off his kingdom and family. He called the Saraswats and
requested them to hold a re-consecration ceremony at the old temple in
Cochin assuming that the idol was back in the temple. This ceremony would
last for 42 days and expenses of the ceremony would be borne by the state.
The Saraswats, though surprised, carried out his wish and held a 42-day
ceremony with a symbolic idol with usual pomp and open house to all
devotees for all days. On the 42nd day the Raja himself performed the
‘Abhishek’(ablution of the idol) and brought the grand function to a close.
The same evening he told the Saraswats that the idol would soon be back in
the temple and departed for Kashi.

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Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

The Cochin Saraswats’ resolved to get the idol by any means and in
collusion with the trustees of the Alleppey temple, hatched a scheme that
was as ingenious as it was simple. The idol was to be removed from its
foundation and carried under cover of darkness to the riverside nearest to the
temple and taken to Cochin by boat. The problem was to get past the
security personnel who were watching like hawks and checking every
individual leaving the temple – including the priests, 24 hours a day and 365
days of the year. They enlisted the support of a priest by the name
Ramchandra Manakku, who was entrusted with execution of the final
maneuver. Priest Manakku sent his family out of Travancore a couple of
months in advance under some pretext and dispatched all moveable property
to Cochin where his family set up home. He was living alone with bare
minimum effects. The day for the grand operation was fixed. On that day the
night Puja was offered to the Lord with a prasad (offering) called ‘Mulik’ in
konkani language. This is a sweet delicacy of small balls of rice flour filled
with shredded coconut and jaggery mixed some times with ripe jackfruit
pulp and fried in ghee or coconut oil. This prasad is distributed, after the
pooja, among all the people present in the temple. Manakku took care to get
‘Mulik’ prepared five times the required quantity. After performing the night
puja and distributing the prasad all round, he pulled the ‘Nada’ and got to
work. He had brought two long narrow baskets and a small strong basket
with lid to hold the idol. He pulled out the idol in a flash and packed it in the
small basket and put the lid firmly on. He then placed it at the bottom of one
of the long baskets and covered it to the brim with ‘Mulik’. The second long
basket was also filled to the brim with ‘Mulik’ and both were covered with
cloth. He then locked the sanctum door, called a temple assistant, handed

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HISTORY OF SHREE TIRUMALA DEVASWOM SAUNSTHAN, COCHIN

Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

him the basket with the idol to carry on the head and took the ‘Muliks only’
basket himself. When he arrived at the gate where the security search was to
be conducted, he put his basket down and started filling each sentry’s hands
with large portions of ‘Mulik’ and said ‘A lot of prasad and not enough
people to enjoy. Take your fill’. The poor sentries, who were accustomed to
very small bits of prasad every day, were too busy to reply with their mouths
full. Now ‘Mulik’ is a dish, which, although tasty, takes time to chew and
gulped down. The priest emptied the basket among the sentries who each
had enough ‘Mulik’ to eat and carry home. The priest played a bold gambit
and told the assistant to put down the second basket, removed the cloth and
showed it to the sentries. ‘Here, I’ll give you some more prasad.’ The poor
unsuspecting sentries cried –“No, no, Vadiyar (priest), no more. Please go.”

The psychological masterstroke had worked, and the priest loaded the
assistant with both the baskets and went home where some of his freeloader
friends had gathered for a chat and the prasad he usually brought with him
every day. He gave every one prasad by fistfuls and took the baskets in,
excusing himself. Once in, he took out the smaller basket with the idol, and
was out of the house in a flash by the rear exit unnoticed. He ran to the river
point where a boat with eighteen well-muscled oarsmen was waiting for him
according to plan. He got into the boat and it sped like an arrow towards the
shores of Cochin. Halfway, they were met by a full armada of the Cochin
naval force, and the boat was safely escorted to its destination. The idol was
thus back in Cochin in the year 1854 C.E. The news of idol’s arrival in
Cochin was conveyed to the Raja who was taking a dip in Ganga at Varanasi

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HISTORY OF SHREE TIRUMALA DEVASWOM SAUNSTHAN, COCHIN

Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

His prayers had been answered and his life’s mission was complete. He
never returned to Cochin, but spent the rest of his life in Varanasi.

Back in Alleppey, the truth was out in the following morning and the
security personnel could see what awaited them when the King got the news.
They simply vanished from the scene and fled Travancore. Their example
was followed by the temple trustees and others responsible officers. The
King, when the news reached him, was furious. He ordered his armed forces
to attack Cochin and to bring the idol back. The armed forces took the sea
route and approached Cochin, where the opposing forces were ranged. A
fierce battle ensued and Travancore forces were beaten back. The defeat
further riled the King who wrote to the Governor General of East India
Company to intervene and restore the idol to him. The Company wrote to
both the Cochin government and the Saraswat Community and called for
facts. The Saraswats conclusively proved that the idol was their exclusive
property which was originally in Cochin and which due to unfavorable
circumstances had been temporarily moved to Travancore, now brought
back again. They also asserted that the idol and the temple belonged
exclusively to the community and not subject to any government control.
The Company weighed the matter and gave the verdict in favor of the
Saraswats.

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HISTORY OF SHREE TIRUMALA DEVASWOM SAUNSTHAN, COCHIN

Translation by Sri Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Margao, Goa

The idol was consecrated for the third time in the year 1881 C.E. Hindu
Calendar Saka 1803 Vaishaka Masa Shuddha Dwadashi, Wednesday, at the
hands of Shri Kashi Math Saunsthan pontiff, His Holiness Srimad
Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swamiji.

The ordeal of Lord Venkateshwara was finally over.

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