Book on Mannarsala Sree Nagaraja Temple released

A book, Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple: Coiled in Divine Mystique, brought out by The Hindu Group of Publications, was released on Wednesday.

Mannarasala Amma Savitri Antharjanam released the book at a function held at the temple. She received a copy from Sridhar Aranala, Vice President, Sales and Distribution, The Hindu.

Addressing the function, M.S. Nagadas, a temple trust member, said that the progress of any society depended on the understanding of its identity.

Mr. Aranala recalled the efforts of The Hindu Group of Publications to document the rich heritage of the country.

“Our constant endeavour has been to bring the reader close to the topic we write a book on. So far, we have successfully completed 190 titles, with the active support of our partners and readers. The Hindu’s Shrine Series has been at the forefront of our publications,” he said.

M.K. Kesavan Namboodiri, a member of the temple trust, presided.

M.G. Jayakumar, M.N. Jayadevan, members of the trust, and Suresh Kumar Pillai, General Manager and Head of Circulation, The Hindu (Kerala), spoke.

The 96-page book, featuring a sweeping range of photographs, explores the unique socio-religious and ecological landscape of one of the country’s most important centres of Naga worship. It highlights the temple’s rare matriarchal legacy, where the Valiya Amma (Mannarasala Amma), the wife of the eldest male member of the Mannarasala Illam, serves as the chief priestess, a tradition unbroken for centuries amid the country’s sphere of priesthood said to be dominated by men.

The book details how faith is inextricably linked to nature, specifically the sacred groves or ‘Kavus’ that surround the shrine, which are ecological strongholds containing over 30,000 Naga idols.

Recording history through different sources, including colonial accounts, the book incorporates the 17th century observations of Dutch traveller Johan Nieuhof and a VOC report by Commander Hendrik van Rheede that documented Naga veneration, along with the detailed 19th century description of the temple’s premises and rituals provided by British missionary Samuel Mateer.

The book also covers the rituals, major festivals, various deities, family history of the Illam, Naga iconography, and the deep mythological significance of Nagas in Hindu thought.