– Om Prakash Narayan
Madurai Meenakshi, Kanchi Kamakshi, and Krishna at various shrines – all have been portrayed as young children by devotees from time immemorial and they too, have come to many devotees as children.
There are recorded versions of how Madurai Meenakshi saved a British Collector appearing as a young girl of 7 or 8 years.
Countless Devotees of Sri Mahaperiyavar in Kanchipuram have reported seeing a young girl of 7 or 8 years whom they later understood as Kanchi Kamakshi.
Similarly, Krishna, has always been seen as a young child of 4 – 5 years in countless Indian homes. He is also worshipped as a young lad of 10-12 years wielding a flute. In the 1950s movie “Meera” – the devotee Meera sings a song where she describes him of blue hue and playing his flute.
Krishna in Kerala is refered to as “Unni” Krishnan – meaning little Krishnan. In Guruvayur, it is the child Krishna who is worshipped. One will find many Malayalis having the name Unni Krishnan. Similarly in Tamil Nadu, we will find many “Kutty” Krishnans – meaning little Krishna.
It is in this way, that the people of Ayodhya always held their beloved Rama, as “Little” Rama – that is why Lalla. Lalla is a word that is used to describe a child in sanskrit. (Lalla is not to be mistaken for Lala – La – la is different from Lull – la)
Lallā, with the accent more on the “L” sound, derives it’s meaning more from the sanskrit word, Lallā (लल्ला):— which denotes an affectionate term for a child or a young boy.
Hence “Ram Lallā” has been worshipped in Ayodhya for a very long time.
Near Salem in Tamil Nadu is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Rama at Ayodhya pattinam. The history of Salems Ayodhya pattinam is quite fascinating since Lord Rama gives the vision of his yet to be done Pattabhishekam to Vibishana here, so that Vibishana could go back to Lanka.
Except in Ayodhya, Lord Rama is always seen and worshipped as a young adult king in the rest of the country. It is only in Ayodhya, where Lord Rama was more popular with the people as a child, that the people during the Ramayana days remembered him in their own homes more as a child…. In Ayodhya, it has always been the child Rama…. Ram Lallā – out of affection for their beloved king who went out on Vanavas defending his father’s decision. The people of Ayodhya came out in large numbers when Rama went out for Vanavas, in grief – it is those simple hearted people of those times who installed their beloved King as a child of their faith in their hearts as Ram Lallā….
(Let us not go into the why, where and how – of the present temple being consecrated, it is enough to say that by design or default, the Ram Lallā of countless devotees is being given the honours today)
Om's Musings 