Tales of Siva, Ram, Jatayu... and a banyan  

KOCHI: Aluva is located on the banks of the Periyar. The remnants of ancient settlements excavated from the town date back to 250 BC. The place was also a summer residence of the king of erstwhile Travancore. The British called it Alwaye.

“The name Aluva is believed to have come from two words, halahala and vaa, which mean poison and mouth, respectively,” says Aluva Municipal Chairman M O John.“The myth about its name is related to Sivarathri fasting.

Lord Siva, to save the universe, drank the Kalakooda poison during the churning of Palazhi. Goddess Parvathy held his throat to prevent the poison from going down. Other deities also spent the entire night sleepless. People also say the name came from the aal (banyan tree), which is at the centre of the land which splits the Periyar into two.”

Radha, 70, who owns a small shop near the temple, says there are numerous stories about the well-known temple here. “The name is believed to have come from Jadayu, the vulture god, who came to save Sita from Ravan who had abducted her to Lanka,” she says. 

“During the fight between the two on the way, Jatayu’s mouth part was severed and it fell at Aluva, torso at Kadungallur and tail at Thiruvaloor. The va in Aluva came from Jadayu. Nadu, which means middle part, is found in Kadungallur, a place earlier known as Nadunnalloor. And vaalu, which means tail, in Thiruvaloor. The three temples are in a straight line. 

“Lord Ram had performed the last rites of his friend Jatayu on the banks of the Periyar river. Now, people come from different places to perform bali tharpan for their deceased ancestors.” Babu K Varghese, who has researched the history of Aluva extensively, offers another story. 

“Jatayu was a cursed sage whose real name was Alu Maharshi. Thus, where the mouth of Alu Maharshi fell during the fight with Ravana is known as Aluva. The name might have also come from halahal, which means poison in Sanskrit, as Lord Siva drank poison to save the world.”