The Legend

Shri Mahādeva Pārvathi Shri Shāsthāra Temple located at Ubrangala 23 Km east of Kasaragod, Kerala state, was established about 2100 years ago.

According to legend, in Dvāpara-yuga, twenty thousand years prior to the beginning of present Kali-yuga (which started in 3102 BCE, i.e., about 5118 years ago), Shri Parashurāma Swāmy was doing penance in the dense forest here. During his tapasya, he saw a “Divya Jyothi “ (divine light) – from which Lord Shri Mahāvishnu briefly emerged and vanished again in the Jyothi. As the sage continued his penance, Shri Shāsthāra emerged from the Jyothi and proceeded to his Moolasthāna nearby. Amazed, Shri Bhārgava wanted to explore the source of this Divya Jyothi and continued his dhyāna. Then, goddess Shri Durga gave him darshan – soon followed by the form of Shri Pārvathi Devi in all her glory. Soon he found both Shri Durga & Pārvathi merging into a singular form, but a quarter of the glow remained. Shri Parashurāma discerned that Lord Shiva was the hidden component and prayed to him. Bowing to his wish, Lord Mahādeva and Goddess Shri Pārvathi appeared and blessed the sage. Shri Parashurāma pleaded to the Lord to grant his darshan to the laity in the Kali-yuga and bless everyone. Shri Maheshwara appeared in the form of a ‘Swayambhu (self-emerged) Lingam’, which can be seen in the present temple, where he is blessing the devotees accompanied by Shri Pārvathi, Shri Shāsthāra, Shri Subrahmanya, Shri Ganapathi & Shri Parashurāma deities.

Lord Shiva desired that devotees during the Kali-yuga gain access to this place to worship him. But the dense forest was impenetrable and full of wild animals and poisonous snakes. Only hunters were residing on the banks of Triveni Sangam of rivers Bhāspathi, Chandrika and Anala.  As per Lord Shiva’s wishes, a Shivagana took birth in a hunter’s family. When he grew up, this hunter one day, saw a rabbit (which was really a Shivabhootam sent by Lord Shiva) and chased it. The rabbit finally reached the place where the self-emerged Shivalingam was located. When the hunter was about to kill it, the rabbit disappeared (the place where this rabbit disappeared can be seen even now near the temple). To his surprise, the hunter saw in that place Goddess Shri Pārvathi in a ‘Navaratna’ cradle swinging. Lord Shiva, in the form of a giant serpent was also seen besides, dancing his hood in the direction of swinging cradle.

Perplexed & dumb-founded, the hunter rushed back to his place and started narrating the incident to his elders. “UU..BRAM…GO..LA” was his initial blabber and these utterings were supposed to have  given rise to the name for this place later (Ubrangala). This was communicated to the village chief, who in turn informed the local King. The King, after due deliberations with his ministers, religious scholars, astrologers and Tāntrikācharyas, decided to explore the divine presence. After taking holy dip in the Triveni sangam they proceeded to the place with abhisheka jala, led by the hunter. This day happened to be Kumbha month’s holy Shivarāthri day (Astrological calculations time this to 62 BCE). But they were disappointed not to see what the hunter had described. When all of them prayed to Lord Shiva, a serpent appeared and later they saw the Swayambhu Shivalingam.  Overjoyed, the crowd offered Theertha jalābhisheka, lighted a ghee deepam and the Achāryas performed poojas to the deity. A temple was built there after clearing the dense forest. Goddess Shri Pārvathi desired that Shri Mahādeva be the presiding deity of this divine place and herself sat facing west, behind the Swayambhu Lingam. During temple construction, astrological deliberations revealed that three-fourths of Sānnidhya Shakthi in this place belonged to Shri Pārvathi. Hence, Goddess’s ‘dāru bimba’ (wooden statue) was consecrated facing westward. It is believed that Shri Mahādeva here is desirous of the original Triveni sangam theerthābhishekam during ceremonial days and he is very fond of the ghee deepam presented to him during his revelation to the people. In the earlier days, 12-day festivities were being celebrated in this temple. During the last day, ‘Avabritha snāna’ was being performed at the Triveni sangam. Legend says that sages (muni) lived in the banks of this Triveni sangam, and to this day, there is a village by name ‘Muniyur’ (dwelling place of sages) here. It is believed that they were frequenting the temple and the Shāsthāra Moolasthāna (Kaatunooji) through underground tunnels (some deep tunnels have been unearthed around temple premises). The temple is now dedicated to Lord Mahādeva, Goddess Shri Pārvathi, Shri Shāsthāra, Shri Subrahmanya, Shri Ganapathi and Shri Parashurāma. ‘Pātu’ is a special annual Utsav celebrated here for Shri Shāsthāra, while Shri Bhootha Bali Utsava is dedicated to Shri Mahādeva. Everyday, after the temple Pooja, the priest visits and offers Pooja at Shāsthāra Moolasthāna Kaatunooji, which is in a hillock about a kilometer away.

The temple was seriously damaged by fire about 400 years ago by the attack of outsiders. Shri Pārvathi’s ‘dāru bimba’ was destroyed by fire. It was only during the last Jeernodhāra & Brahmakalasha in 1982 that Shri Pārvathi’s idol was re-consecrated here and poojas were re-started for the deity. Shri Pārvathi is blessing the populace with her divine grace.

Another speculation about the origin of the word ‘Ubrangala’ talks about a tank (kola) near the east side of the premises with a powerful ‘oravu’ (deep, spontaneous spring of water), giving the name of ‘Orankola’ ….Orangola….Ubrangala.

Ubrangala temple is located in an elevated platform in a scenic location in the middle of paddy fields and arecanut gardens, with a rivulet flowing in front of the temple. One has to ascend 18 steps to enter the inner prāngana (courtyard). The fame of this temple had spread far & wide. Wherever Vishnumoorthy Bhoothakola takes place in the Malabar area of Kerala state or in Tulunadu, the Bhootha calls out in Malayalam for ‘Orangalathe Shasthāvinde Mantravādi’ (custodian of Orangala /Ubrangala – Shāsthāvu deity). ‘Pātu’ is one of a kind of festivals celebrated in a handful of Kerala temples for Lord Shāsthāra. Each day, traditional ‘Theyyampādi’s from Kerala draw huge rangoli portrait of Lord Ayyappa with specially prepared leaf & vegetable powder colours, in the eastern gopura of the temple and sing in praise of the Lord (Pātu). The spectacular raising of the ‘Ana-pandal’ in the eastern outer prāngana of the temple, coinciding with the opening of doors of the sanctum sanctorum for the noon Mahāpooja, on the last day of Pātu festivities is a sight to behold.

The Kunikullaya family has been the management trustees of this village temple and Delampādy Tantri family - the Tāntrika Achāryas.

Over a period of time, the temple structure had weakened slowly & considerably. Devotees of far & near came together and renovated the dilapidated structure from 1970 onwards and the Brahmakalasha took place from May 17 to 27^th, 1982. Seers of Edaneer, Pejāwar, Sringeri, Subrahmanya & Ramachandrāpur Mutts and Dharmādhikari Shri Veerendra Hegde of Dharmasthala visited the temple during this period and gave direction to the Jeernodhāra works and Brahmakalasha.

It has been 33 years since the last Brahmakalasha. In July 2015 the devotees again came together to chalk out the plans for performing the long-overdue Brahmakalasha, to be performed after carrying out the necessary renovation works and improvements. A new Jeernodhāra samithi has been drawn-up, detailed plan and budgetary estimates have been worked out. It is estimated that a sum of Rs 2.25 crores may be needed for the immediate renovation works before planning of Brahmakalasha. It is the fervent wish of every devotee to see the early fructification of these plans and to go ahead with Brahmakalasha at the earliest.

May the Lords Shri Mahādeva, Shri Pārvathi, Shri Shāsthāra, Shri Subrahmanya, Shri Ganapathi & Shri Parashurāma shower their blessings on their benevolent devotees to come together for this blessed work.