Kerala: Thousands flock to Punarjani cave for 'noozhal' ritual on Guruvayur Ekadashi

Punarjani Guha is a holy place in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district that opens only once in a year on Guruvayur Ekadashi, the Shukla Paksha day of the Vrishchikam. According to legend, Punarjani Guha was carved out by Vishwakarma on the orders of Lord Indra following the request of Lord Parashuram. The Punarjani Noozhal, the crawling through the Punarjani cave, is an important local ritual.

On the occasion of Guruvayur Ekadashi, thousands of devotees flocked to the Punarjani Guha (cave) in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district for the 'noozhal' (crawling) ritual. This particular ritual can be practiced only on Guruvayur Ekadashi in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. The Punarjani Guha is a 150-metre natural cave on a rocky cliff situated in Thiruvilwamala. The devotee must first bathe in the Papanasini Theertham, a nearby water source. It is considered that completing a noozhal, or crawling from one end of the tunnel to the other, will wash away all sins and grant the attainment of Moksha, or liberation from rebirth.

Women are only permitted to visit the cave; only men are permitted to perform the "noozhal." According to the legend, the sage Parasurama performed this ritual 101 times in a row in order to atone for his sin of wiping out the Kshatriyas.

The term "Vilwamala" refers to the group of three rocky hills, "Bhoothamala," "Vilwamala," and "Moorikkunnu," that extend along the southern bank of Bharathappuzha in an easterly direction. Between the Vilwamala and the Bhoothamala is the "punarjani" cave. The punarjani cave is thought to have been constructed by divine architect "Viswakarma" on "Devendra's" orders, in response to Parasurama's plea for the salvation of deceased people's spirits, who had already been purified by the sight of Vilwadrinatha (the idol of Lord Shree Ram in the eastern shrine).

Prior to embarking on Punarjani, we must visit the "Ganapathi theertham," which is located on the northern side of the mountain, approximately 0.5 miles east of the temple. It never dries up.

Not everyone is capable of doing the "noozhal," as it is a difficult ritual. For most people, the ceremony takes roughly thirty minutes to complete. Despite the fact that passing through the cave requires a variety of body positions, including standing, sitting, crawling, and creeping, thousands of men visit this location on Ekadasi Day each year in hopes of breaking free from the cycle of rebirth.