a tale to tell from Guruvayur

Manjadikuru/Lucky Red Seeds are found in Krishna temples in Kerala. In fact nowadays, that is the only place we see them. The origin of this practice lies in the folklore of the Guruvayur temple. The temple of Guruvayur houses the deity of Vishnu*, and this particular idol is believed to have been worshipped by Lord Krishna** in Dwaraka. The first time I set eyes on Manjadikuru is in this temple.

The story goes thus… a long time ago, there lived a woman in a northern province of Kerala. She was an ardent devotee of Krishna and aspired to someday visit the temple in Guruvayur. She wanted to carry offerings to the temple as most people did but she was too poor to be able to afford anything. But she knew of an old tree that shed beautiful glossy red seeds. Fascinated by their beauty she began to collect them, hoping to one day carry them with her to the temple as a gift to the Lord. One by one she would pick them from the ground, treating each one like a precious gem. Polishing them and keeping them safe from the rain and the dust. In her eyes each of them glowed with warmth and radiance. She eagerly awaited the day when the Lord would see them. Others laughed at her and called her mad to pick the worthless seeds but she continued to do what she believed in.

Over a year the collection was built up and she had a large pouch full of Manjadikuru. Her eyes filled with glee as she held them close to her while she slept at night. Making up her mind to take them to the temple, she set out on a journey. Leaving the safety of her home and her loved ones, she set out on foot towards the temple. Her home was in a hilly province and she had to traverse rivers and deep forests as she moved towards her destination. She met people on the way. Some of them discouraged her. Some of them applauded her. But she didn’t care. Her mind was set on the temple and its deity and with single-minded focus she trudged on. Many people told her “this is not the way” but she followed her instinct and a force within her guided her ahead.

Every morning she would wake up with stiff joints, through the day her body would ache and at night she would collapse on the wayside in a tired stupor. In her mind she was aware that she may never be able to do this again in her life but in her eyes was a dream and on her lips was a smile. Forty four daunting days later, she arrives in the temple city of Guruvayur. Unfamiliar and tired she stumbles through the streets, forcing her body to make the last mile too.

Finally she arrives at the temple portals. She hears people talk amongst themselves about the special day at the temple. Apparently the day was the first of that month and the local ruler or Naduvaazhi would visit the temple on the first of every month. To display his devotion, he would submit an elephant every month as an offering to Krishna. Hearing these tales, the woman carefully makes her way to the inner precincts with her pouch.

The officers of the Naaduvazhi are clearing people from the path to make way for the ruler. In their powerdrunk arrogance and pettiness, they are unable to distinguish between wayfarers and devotees. Mercilessly they insult devotees and trample on children to get them out of their way. The woman tries to balance her pouch of Manjadikuru so that she doesn’t lose them but the officers insult and mock her and physically shove her out of the area. The trumpeting of the Naaduvazhi’s elephant is heard. With a last push from the insolent officers, the woman falls down and the pouch falls open and all the red seeds get scattered all over. A tear from the woman's eye fall on the temple floor.

Immediately the Naaduvazhi’s elephant goes beserk and starts to run amok in the temple. People run for their lives as the mad elephant starts to destroy things within the temple. Unable to control the elephant, the Naaduvazhi prays to Krishna for a solution. A voice is heard from within the temple - “where is my Manjadikuru?” "where is my devotee, who you have insulted and hurt?” "where is my gift that she lovingly put together?”

Realizing their folly, the people apologize to the woman and start to gather the red seeds that are scattered all over. Filling her pouch for her, she is escorted to the sanctum sanctorum with her lucky red seeds. After her submission of the offering, the elephant returns to normal. In memory of that devotee’s offering, even to this day, a big uruli full of Manjadikuru are kept within the temple.




*Vishnu is part of the primary Hindu trinity godhead
** Krishna is considered an avatar/birth of Vishnu