Peruviruthi (Duryodhana) Ambalam(Temple) (Thengamam)
India /
Kerala /
Adur /
Thengamam
World
/ India
/ Kerala
/ Adur
World / India / Kerala / Pattanamtitta
KOLLAM: The `malakkuda’ festival of Poruvazhi Peruviruthi Malanada temple will be held on March 21.
The deity as well as the customs and practices of worship of this temple are unique.
It is considered to be the only Duryodhana temple in the entire South India.
The devotees of Duryodhana address the deity as `Malayappooppan.’ The temple and the deity had a deep rooted significance in the life of the people in the area as in most of the land tax records of the villagers the ‘pattadar’ is mentioned as Duryodhanan.
The temple has no idol of the deity but only a platform. The paddy field and coconut grove surrounding the temple add to the charm of it. The temple also has Drona, Karna, Dushala, Shakuni and Bheeshma as deities.
The Malanada temple is the centre of the 101 hillshrines spread over Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts.
According to Dravidian tradition, the local people belonging to the Dalit community here had the right to worship the deity.
The `Oorali’ belonging to the Kaduthasseri family of the Kurava community is the chief priest of the temple. The offerings at the temple are toddy, arrack and chicken.
There had been a practice of offering 101 para of toddy, 101 para of arrack and 101 chicken. This practice, however, has been banned. Another unique offering is food grains and other locally available food items.
Devotees who offer liquor to the deity take the rest of the offering as `prasadam’. But now, aravana, appam and bhasmam are also being given as prasadam.
However, many people here complain of move from certain quarters to change the pooja customs to make them similar to that of other temples. Former secretary of the temple trust, Jagadeesh, said that they had not made any changes in the rituals. Still the pooja rituals are performed by the Oorali, Kunju Kunju, of the Kaduthasseri family.
Pallippana, a Dravidian ritual, was held in 1962, 1974, 1986 and 1999 following Devaprasnam. Since then there have been efforts to change the rituals.
The `malakkuda’ festival is held on the second Friday of the Malayalam month of Meenam. `Eduppukuthira’ from the seven karas are brought to the temple on the festival day.
Large number of small and medium sized `Eduppukuthiras’ and `Eduppukalas’ will also be brought to the temple by individuals and organisations.
Tens of thousands of devotees will visit the temple on the festival day. Till 1990, the temple festival was noted for the fireworks.
But the fire accident occurred in 1990 put an end to the fireworks largely diminishing the attraction of the festival.
The temple is administered by an elected body of 25 members. The entire Hindu community of the seven ‘karas’ vote to elect the 25 representatives.
The Ezhava, Nair and Kurava communities have 8, 6 and 4 members respectively in the temple trust. Other Hindu communities are also given representation.
The deity as well as the customs and practices of worship of this temple are unique.
It is considered to be the only Duryodhana temple in the entire South India.
The devotees of Duryodhana address the deity as `Malayappooppan.’ The temple and the deity had a deep rooted significance in the life of the people in the area as in most of the land tax records of the villagers the ‘pattadar’ is mentioned as Duryodhanan.
The temple has no idol of the deity but only a platform. The paddy field and coconut grove surrounding the temple add to the charm of it. The temple also has Drona, Karna, Dushala, Shakuni and Bheeshma as deities.
The Malanada temple is the centre of the 101 hillshrines spread over Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts.
According to Dravidian tradition, the local people belonging to the Dalit community here had the right to worship the deity.
The `Oorali’ belonging to the Kaduthasseri family of the Kurava community is the chief priest of the temple. The offerings at the temple are toddy, arrack and chicken.
There had been a practice of offering 101 para of toddy, 101 para of arrack and 101 chicken. This practice, however, has been banned. Another unique offering is food grains and other locally available food items.
Devotees who offer liquor to the deity take the rest of the offering as `prasadam’. But now, aravana, appam and bhasmam are also being given as prasadam.
However, many people here complain of move from certain quarters to change the pooja customs to make them similar to that of other temples. Former secretary of the temple trust, Jagadeesh, said that they had not made any changes in the rituals. Still the pooja rituals are performed by the Oorali, Kunju Kunju, of the Kaduthasseri family.
Pallippana, a Dravidian ritual, was held in 1962, 1974, 1986 and 1999 following Devaprasnam. Since then there have been efforts to change the rituals.
The `malakkuda’ festival is held on the second Friday of the Malayalam month of Meenam. `Eduppukuthira’ from the seven karas are brought to the temple on the festival day.
Large number of small and medium sized `Eduppukuthiras’ and `Eduppukalas’ will also be brought to the temple by individuals and organisations.
Tens of thousands of devotees will visit the temple on the festival day. Till 1990, the temple festival was noted for the fireworks.
But the fire accident occurred in 1990 put an end to the fireworks largely diminishing the attraction of the festival.
The temple is administered by an elected body of 25 members. The entire Hindu community of the seven ‘karas’ vote to elect the 25 representatives.
The Ezhava, Nair and Kurava communities have 8, 6 and 4 members respectively in the temple trust. Other Hindu communities are also given representation.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 9°6'8"N 76°39'27"E
- Sarath Kumar Sasikalalayam 0.5 km
- KRISHNA POULTRY FARM 1.4 km
- sajeevpavizham 1.5 km
- KADAMPANAD SOUTH 1.7 km
- Choventeayyathu Veedu, Niza(Jannathu), Shameena, Azees, Anish 2.1 km
- ayanipparampil 2.1 km
- Krupalayam Raju 3.2 km
- Harisankar(Anjaly) 3.9 km
- VARAVILA 4 km
- Nediyavila Jn 4.9 km
- Malanada temple
- ST.THOMAS EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF INDIA 1.1 km
- MAR BASELIOUS GERGORIOS ORTHODOX CHURCH PORUVAZHY. 2 km
- Idinjakuzhi LP School 4.2 km
- NJ Convention Center Bharanikkavu 4.2 km
- Panappetty Asramam Temple 4.4 km
- Sree Parthasarathy Temple, Muthupilakkadu 4.9 km
- Nediyavila Devi Temple 5 km
- VGSS Ambikodayam HSS 5 km
- Nediyavila Junction 5 km
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