Governor general Thomas Munro and Goddess’ mensuration - Chengannur Bagavathy temple

Navrang India January 31, 2016
Major-General Thomas Munro, Governor of Madras,  Sept. 1814 – July 1827. en.wikipedia.org
 Hindu temples of India have strange legends and many may appear preposterous and silly, but they underscore certain subtle facts of life. Intense prayer and  deep faith are  the driving forces  fundamental to success. However, certain mystical powers as explained by the people around us are just riddles that can not be explained. Interpretations may vary among the believers and rationalists, but strange incidents do happen in some places.

The menstrual festival,Thriputharattu observed every year at Chengannur  Bagavathy temple, Kerala may sound silly and absurd. Quaint as it may seem to us , the people living in this part of Kerala, do not give in to rationalists' outburst and carping criticism. On the contrary, they feel  proud that the local temple has some link with woman's menstrual cycle fundamental to the evolution of human beings.
Chengannur  Bagavathy temple,  Kerala.www.keralatourism.org
There is an interesting legend in support of the special mystical power possessed by the Goddess. Under the the British rule, Sir Thomas Munro, a Scottish soldier, colonial administrator and   Governor of Madras (16 September 1814 – 10 July 1827) upon hearing about the strange festival, had stopped, all of a sudden, all grants  to the temple for observing the menstruation of the Goddess. He thought  such a belief in normal woman's life was nonsense and highly farcical.  The local people were upset over Munro's  action taken on the spur of the moment.

No sooner had  the grants to the temples been cut by Thomas Monro, it is believed, than his wife  started menstruating profusely for days.  Doctor's medication was of no use. The problem persisted and Munro became worried. Some body in his administration told him that the continuous discomforts faced by his wife may be the result of his action of stopping grants to the Chengannur temple.
Chengannur  Bagavathy temple,  Kerala.www.keralatourism.org
Munro then said that if his wife was cured, he would form  a trust with a view to providing sufficient funds for celebrating the Goddess’ 'periods.  Once the grants started coming in, his wife's painful ailment was cured and the bleeding stopped. Munro then created a trust as promised, besides presenting  two golden bangles to the Goddess. Till date, Mr. Munro’s family is the sponsor of the Goddess’ mensuration celebrations organized every year.

The Munro incident had a severe  impact on the people who began to visit this temple in large numbers. Problems such as irregular periods, infertility, marital issues  have been cured here through intense prayer during  the time of tGoddess’ menstruation.


Ref:
www.boldsky.com/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2010/chengannur-thriputharattu-060410.html