Alanatha Temple or Alvarnaath Temple
Alanatha Temple or Alvarnaath Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is located in Brahmagiri which is 24 K.m away from puri. It becomes crowded during the krishnapaksha of Ashadha,after the Snana Yatra when lord Jagannath can’t be seen in Puri. During this period, popularly known as Anasara or ‘Anavasara’ (literally meaning no opportunity to see the lord of Puri), instead of having darshan in Jagannath Temple,peoples believe that Lord Jagannath during this time manifests as Alarnath Dev, at the Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri, which is about 23 km from Puri. Deity of Lord Chaitanya is also found inside the temple. There is a stone slab in front of the deity which bears impressions from Lord Chaitanya’s body. When Lord Chaitanya first lay in full respect in front of Lord Alarnath, the stone below Lord Chaitanya melted from His blissful touch.
Main Deities
Lord Alarnath is an ancient four-handed Vishnu deity believed to be installed by one of the Alvars. He is presently worshiped by the Jagannath Mandir Pujaris. At his feet kneels Garuda,His eagle-carrier with his hands folded in Prayer. Alarnath’s consorts Sri and Bhu also accompany him. The Temple also features small Deities of Sri Krishna’s queens Rukmini and Satyabhama. Bas reliefs of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva grace the ceiling of one of the halls leading up to main chamber.
The positioning of the four Vishnu symbols on this ancient Deity seems to indicate that he is Janardana Vishnu or Adi Vishnu—The Original form of Lord Vishnu. But unlike Lord Jananrdana, Alarnatha holds his right hand in the abhaya murda; granting fearlessness and security to whomever takes his shelter. This mudra is only shown by Krishna Deities and not murtis of Vishnu or Narayan.
Historical Evidences
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during his stay in Puri used to see Shri Jagannatha daily.During Anavasara when Lord and his siblings were taken to the secret chamber for 15 days,he was unable to see his dear Lord.So as per legend lord directed him to go to Brahmagiri and visit his another temple called Alvaarnath.Still today the Shila over which Mahaprabhu used to do Samkeertan is there.Many historians opine that Alwars once visited this place,but there is no mention of it in Divyaprabandam.
Past times
i) Lord Brahma Carves the Deity:
According to a local tradition, the history of Alarnatha goes back million of years to Satya-yuga. Lord Narayan Spokes to Lord Brahma from the sky describing in detail the form of deity Brahma should carve and worship . Afterwards, Lord Narayan addressed Brahma, “ Because you have worshiped me here, this place will be known as Brahmagiri(Brahma’s Hill)”. With the passage of time, Brahamagiri became known as Alarnatha.
The present temple was built about eleven hundred years ago, and the puja was previously performed by South Indian Brahmins. Because the pujaris were in the disciple line of the great spiritual teachers known as the Alvars,the deity became known as Alvarnatha(“Lord of the Alvars”), Which in time became Alarnath. Today,the place is also commonly known as Brahmagiri.
ii) Alarnatha Scalded by Sweet Rice:
Once a Brahmin named Sri ketana, whose service was to offer food to Lord Alarnatha, has to go out to beg provisions for the lord. He gave his young son Madhu the responsibility for making offerings in this absence after telling hi to place Alarnatha’s meals before him and pray to the Lord to accept them. When the time came to make the first offering,Madhu brought the food to the Lord and Prayed, “O my dear Lord, please accept this offerings. I am just a boy and don’t know how to offer properly .”
Madhu then played with his friends, when he returned, he saw that all the food was still on the plate.
“O my Lord,” he said, “ why haven’t you eaten? If my father hears of this, he will be angry with me. Please eat.”
Madhu left, only to return and find the food still on the plate. With tears in his eye, he again begged the Lord to eat.
When Madhu returned the third time, the Alarnath’s plate was empty. Madhu happily carried the empty plate to his mother.
“where is the prasadam?” she asked.
“Lord Alarnaths ate everything ! ”Madhu replied.
For three days Madhu and his family fasted because whenever Madhu offered the Lord his meal, He ate everything.
When Sri Ketana returned and heard of the situation, he scolded his son, “What have you done with Lord Alaranatha’s Prasadam?”
“He ate it, fater. I offered it just like you taught me.”
“He can’t eat, ” Sri Ketan replied. “He is just a stone deity.”
Sri Ketana decided to see what was going on. So he hid behind a pillar while his son made an offering to the Lord. After Madhu had left , Sri Ketana saw the Lord reach down and pick up a bowl of sweet rice. Sri Ketana jumped from behind the pillar and caught hold of the Lord’s arm, spilling hot sweet rice on the Lord Alarnatha’s body.
“Stop!” sri ketana yelled. “What are you doing? Who ever heard of a Deity eating? If you eat everything, how will we live?”
Lord Alarnatha replied, “O materialist in the guise of brahmana, I never accept offerings from a faithless person like you, devoid of devotion I accept the offerings of Madhu because he offered them with simplicity and Love.”
Today, the temple pandas point out several scars on the Lord Alarnaths’s body where he was scalded by the sweet Rice
