
SURYAKALADI MANA
The abode of 'Surya Deva' & 'Sree Maha Ganapathy'
History
Bharathapuzha, the largest and sacred river that flows gently with a liquid murmur in Kerala is perhaps the cradle of nature in kerala .Many great Brahmin families spread their colourful wings of tradition upon her shore. Time always heard and still hears such sweet flutterings coming from surya kaladi mana near the white banks of this river.
The great ancestors of this mana have contributed in not an insignificant manner towards the propagation of a new culture ,spirit and spirituality. How inexpressible is the long legend of Masters who visited this abode!. How unimaginable is the supply of age-old tantric rites and visions that emanated from this seat of lord Ganesha!. And then again, what a tranquility and gentelness, the seeker meets with as he steps his feet upon this holy soil!.
The mana takes its orgin in ponnani taluk and holds a great legacy.It has its link with the great Navamukuntha temple which was powerful in mani-fold ways. Martial arts and similar attempts came to be practiced and popularized in a lager measure by this temple.It was also the nucleus of historical, cultural,literary and spiritual sagacity. Interesting enough the Suryakaladymana in Ponnani had the reins of control over this temple. History still takes its hats off to this mana for the unparalleled development of this temple.
But history sometimes has it unpleasant twists. Samuthiri the then ruler of the region seems to have felt a discomfort of no reason whatsoever, for the honest and pure endeavors that the members of this great mana showed to the temple. Ultimately the temple was taken over by the samuthiry. No surprise the Suryakaladi members felt the pinch and pain for all that they got from what ever they gave as honesty and submission. History now winds forward and law of nature appears in the disguise of Thekkumkur Raja(King). The king holds it a matter of immense esteem and honour to have the Suryakaladi family as his Raja Guru (family teacher). The members shift their soil and tradition happily to Kottayam . it is good to remember that Chennas Nambudiripad author of Tantra Samuchayam emerged as one among the Pathinettara Kavikal(eighteen and a half).
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It was a usual practice among the scholarly persons to sharpen their art, intelligence and knowledge in all areas by engaging themselves in activities like debates and discussions. There were several such important occasions and the most important ones were ‘Kadavaloor Anyonyam’ and ‘Revathi Pattathanam’. Revathy pattathanam, a scholarly debate is mainly intendend to exchange ideas in vedas, ‘Vedanthas’ like Tarkam (debate) vyakaram, (grammar) and Tantras. Tulam (Malayalam Month) is the auspicious time for conducting this. Those who win these debate ‘pattathanam’ is conferred with the title ‘Bhattathiri’. Suryakaladi was a permanent invitee to this and to attend Revathy Pattathanam he used to visit Kozhikode once in a year.
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It was a tradition in the royal family to give patronage to popular and important people. Suryakaladimana came under the royal patronage of Travancore Royal family.


