Tirunavaya


Tirunavaya, also spelled as Thirunavaya, is a census town in Malappuram, Kerala. Situated on the northern bank of Bharatappuzha, it is one of major Hindu pilgrimage centres in Kerala. Tirunavaya, home to Tirunavaya Temple and temples of Siva and Brahma, is one of the most prominent places for Bali tarpana on Karkitaka vavu in Kerala.
Tirunavaya seems to be a very sacred place for the Hindus of Kerala from time immemorial. River Ponnani at Tirunavaya is considered to assume a special sanctity, because it flows between the temple of Vishnu on its right bank and the temple of Brahma and Siva on its left. The village, situated on the fertile river basin, must have been one of the most prominent Brahmin settlements in Kerala. Tirunavaya also hosted the Mamankam, a type of medieval temple festival with huge political significance, in every 12 years. Tirunavaya is renowned for its communal harmony since centuries where people of different religions coexist peacefully.
The Navamukunda Temple is considered one of the 108 original tirupatis of the Vaishnava alvars. The pitrkarma/pitrkriyas performed at Tirunavaya, a trimūrti sangama, are considered as very sacred. On Karkitaka vavu, Hindus from different part of northern Kerala travel to the temple, to perform the pitrkriya seeking moksha for their ancestors. According to media, more than 50,000 devotees performed vavu bali at Navamukunda Temple in 2015. Bali rites are also performed at Tirunavaya on the vavu days of Tulam and Kumbham.
Tirunavaya Census Town has a population of 24,790. The Muslims compose 77.41% of the total number, while Hindus form of 18.30% of the total population. Schedule Caste constitutes 6.17 % while Schedule Tribe were 0.63 % of total population in Tirunavaya CT.
Yearly average rainfall of the census town is 2769 mm. Maximum temperature here reaches up to 32°C and minimum temperature goes down to 25°C.

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