Pisharikavu - devi worshipped by vaisyas

Pisharikavu Temple is located at Kollam, in Calicut district. This location is 30 Km from calicut through National Highway. One could easily reach there by bus or train.The nearest railway station is located at Quilandy.

Associated with every temple there would be a myth.Pisharikavu is no exception for this. The noted malayalam writer Kottarathil Sankunni had mentioned a myth about the origin of Pisharikavu temple in his great work 'Aithihya mala'(collection of myths). The Pisharikavu temple was built here by Vaisya community who came from southern Kerala. Many years before, this community lived in Quilon and trade was their main profession. They built a temple there and the main idol of this temple was a sword(Nandhakam) which was presented by Sri Porkali Devi to a believer of this community. He was a person who could cure snake-bites by taking poison out of the wound of the bitten(called as Vishahari in malayalam and it is from this the word pishari came). The presence of Sri Porkali Devi in this sword and her grace brought richness and prosperity to Vaisya community. The wealth changed the behavior and attitude of this community towards the King of the country and tried to challenge his authority. The King got angry and expelled vaisyas from his kingdom. The expelled vaisya community later came to Kurumbranadu (Now Quilandy taluk) and brought some land from the natives and settled there. They built a temple here and put the idol(nandhakam) that they had taken along with them, and start to worship. They named this place as kollam to memmorise their old place.

Kattumadom Namboodiri, a famous ritualist and tantric proponent, was the one who had done the consecration. This well maintained temple has exquisite wood carving and mural paintings.

At first poojas were done by Namboodiris as per the brahmin tradition and this inturn increased the power of the deity to uncontrollable levels. Hence Namboodiris were soon replaced by Moosads(a brahmin sub-caste) who are doing the day to day rites now according to the saktheya tradition. Valia-vattala guruthi is the main offering and booked for serveral years. Udayasthamaya pooja, Niramala, Rakthapushpanjali, Palpayasam are a few of them. The annual festival is celebrated every year in March/April. The date of the hoisting of flag is fixed by Moossads and this rite is known as "Kaliyattam Kurikkal". The 7 days celebrations is concluded with "Kaliyattam". In this day a Nandhakam sword (not the one given by devi) is taken out of the temple atop a female elephant ornamented with golden nettipattam and believers pray for the grace of Devi in an atmosphere of devotion.