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KALAPATHY RATHOLSAVAM
The Vishwanatha Swamy shrine, the oldest Shiva temple is situated 3 kms from Palakkad. The annual chariot
temple is a gala event. The annual 'Ratholsavam' or Chariot Festival at Sree Viswanantha Swamy temple lasts for seven days.
On
the last three days, beautifully decorated temple chariots are ceremoniously drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees
whose soul stirring chants rent the air.
The festival is dominated by three magnificent chariots, bedecked with flowers
and flags, each sanctified by the presence of the lord.
Teeming crowds of people and millions of hands try to reach
out to be one of the privileged to have the honour of pulling the chariots, as they proceed in stately grandeur.
Kalpathy Ratholsavam (the last three
days of the annual seven day chariot festival) is held at the Sree Viswanathaswamy Temple at Kalpathy in Palakkad District.
The temple is over 700 years old. Vedic recitals, spectacular procession of beautifully decorated temple chariots drawn through
the streets by thousands of devotees are the highlights of the festival
Kottapuram
Bhagavathy Temple
There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy at Kottapuram which is accessible from
Palakkad.
MALA CHITTUR KONGANPADA
Konganpada
is a grand festival of historical significance celebrated in the Bhagavathy temple at Chittur' ten kilometer from Palakkad
town.
A unique festival it is held
every year on the first Monday after the dark lunar night in Kumbham (February -March) to commemorate the victory of Nairs
of Chittur over the militia of Konganadu (Coimbatore) led by the then Chola King Rajadhi Raja.
Nellikulangara Bagavathi temple:
Vallanghi Village of Chittur Taluk
The temple
dedicated to goddess Bhagavathi at Nellikulangara is an ancient and much revered one. It is located in
the Vallanghi Village of Chittur Taluk. Thousands of devotees throng the sleepy village to invoke the blessings of Nellikulangara
Bhagavathi .
To invoke the blessings of the Goddess, the people of Vallanghi
and Nemmara conduct a festival of 20th Meenam (March-April) every year. This is the famous Vallanghi vela.
Every year –
a grand festival is held in the temple around March-April to
apropitiate and invoke the blessings of the Goddess. During
the festival, an image of the Bhagavathi is taken on a procession atop a richly festooned pachyderm. An accompaniment
of ‘Panchavadyam’ or a band of five instruments gives the procession rhythm and life. As dusk
falls, the skies are lit in a dazzling display of pyrotechnics. The festival is held in a festive competition among two groups
each trying to outdo the other with enthusiasm and effort, pomp and pageantry.
Parakkad Bhagavathi Temple
Parakkad
Shri Bhagavathy Devaswom
P O
Kavassery, Palakkad,Kerala,INDIAPIN: 678 543 Tel : +91-492-222193
Temple timings: Morning 5.00 A.M. to 11.15 A.M Evening 5.00 P.M. to 8.00 P.M.
Sthala Purana- Information on the history, arts and culture of Parakkad and the areas near Kavassery,
Palakkad Dist. Kerala
How to get there ?
Parakkad is situated near Alattur town in the district of Palakkad. Alattur is on the Palakkad-Thrissur National highway
#47 .
The place can be reached by road from either Thrissur or Palakkad. It is also connected by rail from Palakkad
Junction.
The nearest airport is Coimbatore in Tamilnadu roughly about 55 Kms away.
There are frequent
buses available from Coimbatore to Thrissur via Palakkad .
The annual festival
of the temple takes place every year in the month of Meenam . Besides this the Navarathri festival and the Ramayana
masam are also celebrated every year. At the end of every month Annadhanam (Free food) is also distributed.
As in the previous year, this year there will
be 11 Elephants, Pushpa Alangaram, Pancha Vadyam, Deepa Alankaram, Thayapaka etc. The Devi has done miracles over the past
200 years. The legend says that the demon ‘Parasura’ who was born during the Mookasura battle was living
in the forest and the Devi killed him. Since the parasura was killed in the forest, the place was called ‘Parakkad’.
After killing the Asura the Devi became peaceful and started staying at Para Cheri. But soon She left the place and
went to the Moolasthana at Kootala. Thereafter the Brahmins brought Her to the present place.
The specialty of the temple is that devotees
irrespective of the cast and creed participate in all the rituals of the temple
PUNARJANI GUHA
The Punarjani Guha, in Palakkad district, is a natural tunnel 15 meters long in the rocky cliff. It is situated 2 km
from the Thiruvilwamala Temple. The chief presiding diety is Sri Rama. The idol is believed to be ‘swayamboo’
ie. born on its own. It is believed that by performing ‘noozhal’ or crawling through the tunnel from one end to
the other will wash away all of one’s sins and thus attain rebirth. Only men are allowed to do the ‘noozhal’
and women can only visit the cave. This ritual is practised only one day in a year on Guruvayur Ekadashi.
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Sri Vilwadrinatha Temple
About
15 km from Ottapalam at ‘Thiruvilvamala’ this temple is dedicated to Lord Rama and Lord Lakshmana the divine brothers
in the great epic ‘The Ramayana’.
Thiruvazhiyode
Vayilya Kunnilappan
The Deity here was installed by Vararuchi
about 1500years ago. This is a small temple and must have been renovated a few times. It is standing on a hill and by the
side of this temple there is a temple for Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi.
day, many years
later, Vararuchi, during one of his travels, went into a poor Brahmin’s house for food. When Vararuchi set some preconditions
(in code language) for taking food there, a girl from inside assured that all the conditions will be met.
Impressed
by the intelligence of the girl who could understand the complicated conditions he had put forth and the perfect arrangements
she made for him, he was attracted to her and married her. Vararuchi soon realised that the girl he married was the same paraya
girl, he wanted to avoid marrying and was sent afloat in the river, and that none can change the course of fate. It
was a Brahmin lady who saved her from Bharatha Puzha at Thrithala, and brought up as a Bhramin.
Thereupon Vararuchi
proclaimed ex-communication for himself from the Brahmin community and along with his wife, started on a pilgrimage. During
Vararuchi's travels along the Nila river, (Bharathapuzha) his wife gave birth to 12 children. Each time she delivered
a child, he asked her if the baby had a mouth. If she said yes, he would say, "God will feed it if it has a mouth", and would
ask her to leave the child there.
Grieved by these, when the 12th child was born, she lied and reported that the baby
did not have a mouth, upon which he permitted her to take the child along. But when she was about to breast-feed it, she found
that the baby actually did not have a mouth.Vararuchi then deified the child on a hill, which is called "Vaayilyakkunnilappan"
(Hill Lord without mouth), at Thiruvazhiyode near Kadampazhipuram (in the present Palakkad district). The children left
out in the forest were subsequently found, adopted and raised by families belonging to different communities, recognised one
another as they grew up, and used to get together at the Illam (residence) of the eldest son, Mezhathol Agnihothri,every year
on their father Vararuchi's death anniversary (Sraadham).
According to legend, these 12 sons were: Mezhathol Agnihothri
(Brahmin), Paakkanaar (Parayan), Rajakan (Washerman), Naaraanathu Bhraanthan (Elayathu), Kaarakkal Maatha (high caste Nair),
Akavoor Chaathan (Vysyan), Vaduthala Nair (Nair soldier), Vallon (Thiruvalluvar) , Uppukottan (Mlecha), Paananaar (Paanan),
Perumthachan (Carpenter ,who built a no of temples), Vaayillaakkunnilappan (deity
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