PERUNAD KAKKATTU KOYIKKAL SREE DHARMA SASTHA TEMPLE,PATHANAMTHITTADISTRICT- KERALA-COMPILED
Dear friends, Today my posting is about the Perunad Sree Dharma Sasthatemple, also known as Kakkattu Koyikkal Sree Dharma Sastha temple, which islocated at Perunad near Ranni in Pathanamthitta District. The temple has the specialty that on return trip of Tiruvabharanam it isadorned to lord Sastha in this temple where women of all ages can have darsanof Lord Sastha wearing Tiruvabharanam. On this account thousands ofwomen wait at this temple for this. This temple is also named – Women’s Sabarimalatemple. Earlier days women from Kerala used to wait at this temple to see thedeity with Tiruvabharanam. Nowadays women from different states wait at thistemple to see Lord Sastha worn Tiruvabharam. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 11-07-2025 Introduction In the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, there is a regioncalled Perunadu. The Kakkattu Koyikkal Dharma Sastha Temple located here isproudly called the 'Sabarimalaof women'. The Perunad Sree Dharma Sastha temple, also known as KakkattuKoyikkal Sree Dharma Sastha temple, is located in Perunad near Ranni inPathanamthitta district, Kerala. It's a Sastha (Ayyappa) temple where the deityis worshipped with his consorts Purna and Pushkala. The temple is situated onthe banks of the Kakkattu Aru (river). Here's a more detailedbreakdown: Location: Perunad, near Ranni, Pathanamthitta district,Kerala. Deity: Lord Sastha (Ayyappa), along with Purna and Pushkala. Festival: Theannual festival is a five-day event starting with the UthiramNakshatra in the Medam month. Significance: It's considered an important temple in theregion and is associated with the Sabarimala pilgrimage. There's a belief thatthe idol is of Vettakkorumakan. Nearby: The temple is located near Ranni-Perunad Panchayatand is approximately 23 km from Pathanamthitta and 46 km from Chengannurrailway station. History The king of Pandalam, Rajasekaran, was childless. Once, whenthe king went to the forest, he brought a child he found there and gave it tothe queen to raise. The queen named the child Manikantan and raised him with love. In this situation, the queen gave birth to a son namedRajarajan. After that, the queen's mind began to change. She wanted toprioritize the child she had given birth to, but she started hating and neglecting the Manikandan shewas raising. She plotted to destroy Manikandan with the help of a minister. According to the plot, the queen told the palace doctor thatshe had an intractable headache and that tiger milk should be brought to her tocure it. Many of the soldiers in the palace went into the forest and refused,saying that they could not milk the tiger. In this situation, as the queen expected, Manikandan tooksome soldiers with him and went into the forest, saying that he was bringingtiger milk. He wasintercepted in the forest by a demon named Mahishi. Manikantanfought with Mahishi and killed her. After this, the purpose ofManikandan's incarnation on this earth was fulfilled. When the gods andsages learned about the death of Mahishi, who had tormented the gods and sageswith her demonic power, the gods and sages were very happy. Everyonecongratulated Manikantan, who was born to Lord Siva and Vishnu in the form of Mohini. After that, Indra, theruler of the heavens, took the form of a tiger. Manikandan, who sat on that tiger,returned from the forest to his country. Behind the tiger, some of the godstransformed into tigers and accompanied him. Seeing that Manikandan had enteredthe forest and was accompanied by many tigers, the people were shocked and ranaway. The news of this was reported to the people in the palace. The queen wasshocked. Realizing hermistake, she apologized to Manikantan. Manikantan said, "The purpose of my incarnation was tokill the demon Mahishi. That purpose happened because you asked for tiger milk.That is why I was able to go into the forest and kill Mahishi. Therefore, youdo not have to regret sending me to the forest." After that, Manikandan left the palace and said that he wasgoing to heaven. Hearing this, King Rajasekaran and the Queen were saddened.Seeing their sadness, Manikandan told his father to shoot an arrow and build atemple for him at the place where the arrow fell. He told him to come to that temple every year on theday of Makara Sankaranthi and worship him, and that only then would he appearin the form of a light . Accordingly, the arrow shot by Manikandan fell in Sabarimala.King Rajasekaran of Pandalamand his soldiers stayed in Perunadu and took up the work of building a templein Sabarimala. After the temple was completed, the King of Pandalam, asinstructed by Manikandan, went to Sabarimala on the day of Makara Sankaranthiand worshipped Manikandan. While King Rajasekaran was going toSabarimala, the Queen and other women stayed in Perunadu and worshipped Manikantansomewhere there. After that, the king builtthis Shasta temple in the place where the queen and other women worshipped inPerunadu, according to the history of this temple. Temple Structure This Shasta temple locatedin Perunadu is called 'Kakkattukkoikkal Shasta temple'. This temple is the oldest templebuilt in Kerala architecture. The Sastha here sits in a sitting position and blesses the devotees. Chief deity The temple is locatedon the banks of Kakkatu Aru. Here Sastha is worshipped with hisspouses Purna and Pushkala. There is also a belief that the murti isVettakkorumakan. The deity faces east. Upadevatha The main upa devata in the temple is Rakshas. Poojas and Worship In addition to daily poojas Special worship is performed inthis temple on all special days of Ayyappa including Chithirai Vishu andMandala worship days and annual festival days. Festivals Every year a 10-day annual festival is held in the month ofFebruary. The annual festival in the shrine is observed starting with UthiramNakshatra in Medam month. Specialty The Thiruvabharanam which is brought back from SabarimalaAyyappa Temple after Makaravilakku is adorned on the Sastha murti worshipped inPerunad Sree Dharma Sastha temple. Women of all ages can worshipin this temple. In ancient times this temple was the Keezhedam of SabarimalaAyyappa Temple. The Kakkadtu Koikkal Dharma Sastha Temple, located in thePathanamthitta district of Kerala, is proudly called the 'Sabarimala of women'. Thiruvabharam worship-Mandalapooja The golden clothes and ornaments brought from the Aranmula Partha Sarathi templeto be adorned with the Shasta of Sabarimala are kept in the Perunadu Shastatemple on the third day and special worship is performed. After that, it istaken to Sabarimala and on the day of the completion of the Mandala Puja, the goldenclothes and ornaments are adorned with the Shasta in Sabarimala and specialworship is performed. Tiruvabharam from Pandalam palace is taken to Sabarimalaand worn on Sabarimala sastha on the makara samkramana time. Lord appears as Jyothi. After that, after the completion of the Makara Jyoti, the ornamentsare brought to Perunadu and adorned with the Shasta there and special worshipis performed. Many heirs ofthe Pandala king and women participate in this festival and worship the Shasta.This temple is proudly called the 'Women's Sabarimala'. My note- There are two Tiruvabharams for Lord Dharama sastha.The one from Aranmula,later one is adorned during Mandala pooja day. The main Thiruvabharanamfrom Pandalam isworn during makara samkramana day. Thisis the age old one. Perunad Temple to beWomen's Sabarimala News item dated 24-1-2016 P T Mohanan Pillai Updated on: 24 Jan 2016, 10:43 am PATHANAMTHITTA: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) presidentPrayar Gopalakrishnan has said that Perunad Sree Dharma Sastha temple would bedeclared as women’s Sabarimala. Talking to Express, Prayar Gopalakrishnan said asPerunad temple, where the Thiruvabharanam to be adorned on the idol of the LordSastha on the return journey to Pandalam from Sabarimala on the second day,would be given more facilities for the women devotees of Lord Ayyappa. The TDB president said adequate funds would be sanctioned for providing basicfacilities at Perunad temple where thousands of devotees, majority of themwomen, converge to worship. Nadapandalal, medicated water, retiring facilities andtoilets would be set up, Prayar said. When the Thiruvabharanam procession haltson the second day, devoteeswould get the opportunity for darsan of the Lord after adornment ofThiruvabharanam, till 11.30 pm, he said. The TDB president said that women in the restricted ageof 10 to 50 years would not be allowed at Pampa, where the arattu ceremony ofSabarimala Lord Ayyappa would be held. Instead, women devotees would be allowed to participate inthe ‘balitharpan’ ceremony to be held at Pampa on New Moon Day in the Malayalammonth of Vrischikam in the name of ‘Jadayu,’ Prayar said. A separate bathingghat would be built for the women devotees to offer ‘balitharpan’ at Triveni,he said. Hundreds of devotees participated in the reception accordedto the Thiruvabharanam procession at Perunad Sree Dharma Sastha temple onFriday afternoon. TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan was among those whooffered worship at Perunad temple. Long queues were seen for darsan after theadornment of Thiruvabharanam on the idol of Lord Sastha till 11.30 pm. The Thiruvabharanam, sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappan, areworn at the Perunad Shasta Temple during the return journey from Sabarimala toPandalam. The procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam halts at the Perunadtemple, where the deity is adorned with the ornaments. This temple is significant as it wasbuilt by the Pandalam King, who also supervised the construction of Sabarimalafrom this location. Here's a more detailedexplanation: Return Journey: After the Makaravilakku festival and the closure of theSabarimala temple, the Thiruvabharanam is taken back to Pandalam in aceremonial procession. Perunad Temple: The procession halts at the Perunad Shasta Temple, where thedeity is adorned with the Thiruvabharanam. Significance: The Perunad temple is historically linked to the Pandalamroyal family, who played a crucial role in the construction of the Sabarimalatemple and the tradition of the Thiruvabharanam. Devotee Presence: Devotees, particularly women, gather at the Perunad temple towitness the deity adorned with the sacred ornaments and to receive Vibhuti(holy ash). Further Journey: After the halt at Perunad, the procession continues itsjourney back to Pandalam Palace, making other stops along the way, including anight halt at Aranmula. Location Perunadu Shasta temple is located in Rani taluk,Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, 19 kilometres from Pathanamthitta and 11kilometres from Ranni. There are bus facilities from Pathanamthitta and Rani toreach this temple. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/741405481.367608.1752214052104%40mail.yahoo.com.
