Ponkuzhi Sreerama temple, Wayanad: A testimony to the epic, Ramayana

Some journeys always ravish our eyes and illuminate our souls by making us silently admire the colours of the spirit which the mother nature wears. Our travel from Kozhikode (Calicut) to Bangalore through the sprawling spice plantations, lush green hilly ranges and the widespread cultivation of Wayanad amidst the jerking upward moving curvy roads always makes us imbibe the abundance of life.

Before we enter the Muthanga forest in the Kerala–Karnataka border’s busy NH 212 Wayanad–Mysore route, 15 kms from Sultan Bathery, in a serene and calm place on the sides of the peacefully flowing Ponkuzhi river nestled with tall bamboo trees is the famous Ponkuzhi Sreerama Sita temple, with the main deities, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. This temple constructed in the Kerala style architecture with a natural pond reminds us of some tales from the great scripture, Ramayana.

The shrine of Ponkuzhiappan (Sreerama) or the Ponkuzhi Sreerama temple situated in an incredibly environmentally sensitive area   has two important shrines (one for Sreerama and other for Seetha devi and Hanuman) on both sides of the road. This temple is also famous for ‘Pithrutharpanam’ (paying homage to ancestors).

The Ramayana tale: The versions of Ramayana, Mahabaratha or any other scriptures differs in each place and are set in various backgrounds, but all these convey a good and meaningful message for the upliftment of humanity.

“Thermele karyeti sumantrarodum koode
Valmikimunipravaasramopandathinkal
Vankaatil kondakalanjinagunee poniduka
Shankikavenda nee njan chonadhu kelkevindu”

(Aadhyatma Ramayanam, Uttarakhandam 3 rd part,125-128 lines)

These lines taken from Thunchath Ezuthachan’s Aadhyatma Ramayana sums up the tale revolving around this punyakshetra. Srirama after waging a war with Ravana to rescue his wife Seetha made her undergo agnipareeksha (fire ordeal) to test her chastity. On returning to Ayodya with Seetha, one washerman indirectly criticized the King of Ayodya, Sreerama, for accepting his wife who had lived in another man’s house. Eventhough Sreerama knew it to be a baseless accusation against his pativrata wife Seetha, he being a great king who paid importance to his people’s thoughts and decisions ordered his brother Lakshmana to abandon the pregnant Seetha in the dense forest. It’s believed that Lakshmana abandonded Seetha in the dense forest of Ponkuzhi.

The legendary pond, Seetha theertham: The dejected Seetha couldn’t control her tears and on the right side of the Seetha devi temple, a mosses covered pond is formed which is said to be the result of Seetha’s tears. The sage, Valmiki’s disciples saw the crying Seetha and took her to Valmiki’s ashram at Pulpally, Wayanad where her sons, Lava and Kusa was born.

There are small tea shops in front of the temple where we get nice vegetarian food and snacks like tasty Neiappams. So, if you cross this area on your trip to Mysore or Bangalore from Calicut or vice versa, please do enjoy the striking beauty of this temple and it’s surroundings.