Nemeni Unni , the Little Priest's Pooja

Nemeni Unni , the Little Priest's Pooja

Once a Nenmini Namboodiri was the priest at Guruvayur temple. There was only one priest on those days and had to go out on an urgent and unavoidable situation. He told his 12 year old son to offer the Nivedyam to Bhagavan and left. At the prescribed time he offered Nivedyam (cooked rice) to Bhagavan and thought in simplicity that Bhagavan will eat the rice, but the Moorthy did not move. Unni went outside and brought some salted mangoes and curd from his house in the belief that Bhagavan likes food this way. He mixed the curd with rice and offered it again. But the Moorthy again remained unmoved. Unni cajoled , requested, coaxed and in the end threatened , but the Moorthy still unmoved . He started crying on his failure and lamented to Bhagavan that his father would beat him. Bhagavan could not bear it any more. He appeared as Child Krishna , ate the Nivedyam with great satisfaction and then disappeared. The little preist left the place satisfactorily. The Nivedyam offered to the Deity was the temple attendant Variyar's prerequisite. On seeing the empty plate, he became very angry with the Unni, but Unni still could not understand and told Variyar that Bhagavan ate up the rice with the curd and salted mangoes. The Unni's innocent word made Variyar more furious. On Senor Priest's arrival, Variyar told the complaint that Unni himself had eaten the Nivedyam, and that he was making a false story. Though Unni told his version, father could not believe it. He raised his hands to beat him, but just then an asareeri (celestial voice) was heard from the Sanctum Sanctorum saying, "I have eaten the Nivedyam. I just fulfilled the prayer of Unni who is my Bhakta . Unni is innocent".

Variyar prostrated at the feet of Unni and apologized to him . It was after this incident that the ritual of offering curd rice and pickle to Guruvayoorappan started .