Pallassana Sri Pazhayakavil Bhagavathy Temple is one of the most famous and oldest temples in Pallassana, Palakkad district. It is also famous as Meembrakulangara devi, Meen kulathi kavilamma, and pazhayakavilamma. Centuries before some people from Tamilnadu enter in to Kerala. One of a particular division know as Mandadiyar (Mannadiar) enter in to the eastern part of Palakkad District. It was ruled by five Mandadiyar family namely Cheriryartha house, Puthotte house, Kannangath house, Tharagatte house and Pallath house.
About 2000 years ago some diamond merchants from Tamil Nadu came to Malabar for their business. At that time Malabar was ruled by Palghat Raja and Zamorin Raja. These merchants established a good business deed with those rulers. They also had good relation with wealthy people of that place. All these relations brought a great progress and prosperity in their business.
Meenkulathi Devi idol is worshipped as having four hands with one holding the divine Conch, the other holding Chilambu (ornament) while the bottom hands with one showing Varada mudra (blessing) and the other holding a typical weapon resembling a sword. Such a manifestation is rarely do see in Keralite temples and could be possibly because of the Tamilian influence in the depiction of Devi.
As they found good response of people towards their business. They decided to settle down in Malabar. So they left their birth place Kumbakonam and Tanjavoor and settled in Malabar for their business improvement. The place where they settled down and the boundaries of that place were specified in the copper leaf ("Kolezhuth"). That places were still known in the same name.
Among the merchants groups there was a great devotee of Madurai Meenakshi who used to go regularly to the temple. Years passed he grew older so he was unable to visit the temple regularly that made him so sad and also feared that he might not able to visit the temple again and he prayed to he Goddess to pardon him for his inability and he returned back.
At that time it was customary to have a bath before entering to home. So the old man had a bath on a nearby pond, leaving his palm leaf umbrella and his valuable goods on the bank of the pond. After his bath he took his goods but he was unable to lift the umbrella. He surprised, and he asked two boys who were playing near by him to watch the umbrella till he come back. And he went to home and he came back to the pond with his family members.
They were also surprised by seeing that miracle. So they called an astrologer to find a reason and solution to the problem. The astrologer informed them that there was presence of goddess Meenakshi at the place where umbrella was placed. He informed them that a temple should be build there. Accordingly the merchant group build a temple as per the temple ritual and started "Pooja" and worshiping. Then place is known as Kudamannu.
After some years the Head of the society and Priest had a dream in which Goddess came and informed them to build a new temple in the middle of community-living area and do the re-consecration. Accordingly, they built a new temple and did the re-installation of the deity.
Actually there were two temples and during the reign of Zamorin, he gave one temple to the Mandradiars who had settled down at Pallassana and were having only a small temple and gave another temple to the Nairs. To distinguish the temples the locales started calling them as Pazhaya Kavu and Puthiya Kavu respectively. To this temple, called Pazhaya Kavu, the Mandradiars re-installed Meenkulathi Bhagavathi from its Moola Sthana (primordial place of worship).
About 2000 years ago some diamond merchants from Tamil Nadu came to Malabar for their business. At that time Malabar was ruled by Palghat Raja and Zamorin Raja. These merchants established a good business deed with those rulers. They also had good relation with wealthy people of that place. All these relations brought a great progress and prosperity in their business.
Meenkulathi Devi idol is worshipped as having four hands with one holding the divine Conch, the other holding Chilambu (ornament) while the bottom hands with one showing Varada mudra (blessing) and the other holding a typical weapon resembling a sword. Such a manifestation is rarely do see in Keralite temples and could be possibly because of the Tamilian influence in the depiction of Devi.
As they found good response of people towards their business. They decided to settle down in Malabar. So they left their birth place Kumbakonam and Tanjavoor and settled in Malabar for their business improvement. The place where they settled down and the boundaries of that place were specified in the copper leaf ("Kolezhuth"). That places were still known in the same name.
Among the merchants groups there was a great devotee of Madurai Meenakshi who used to go regularly to the temple. Years passed he grew older so he was unable to visit the temple regularly that made him so sad and also feared that he might not able to visit the temple again and he prayed to he Goddess to pardon him for his inability and he returned back.
At that time it was customary to have a bath before entering to home. So the old man had a bath on a nearby pond, leaving his palm leaf umbrella and his valuable goods on the bank of the pond. After his bath he took his goods but he was unable to lift the umbrella. He surprised, and he asked two boys who were playing near by him to watch the umbrella till he come back. And he went to home and he came back to the pond with his family members.
They were also surprised by seeing that miracle. So they called an astrologer to find a reason and solution to the problem. The astrologer informed them that there was presence of goddess Meenakshi at the place where umbrella was placed. He informed them that a temple should be build there. Accordingly the merchant group build a temple as per the temple ritual and started "Pooja" and worshiping. Then place is known as Kudamannu.
After some years the Head of the society and Priest had a dream in which Goddess came and informed them to build a new temple in the middle of community-living area and do the re-consecration. Accordingly, they built a new temple and did the re-installation of the deity.
Actually there were two temples and during the reign of Zamorin, he gave one temple to the Mandradiars who had settled down at Pallassana and were having only a small temple and gave another temple to the Nairs. To distinguish the temples the locales started calling them as Pazhaya Kavu and Puthiya Kavu respectively. To this temple, called Pazhaya Kavu, the Mandradiars re-installed Meenkulathi Bhagavathi from its Moola Sthana (primordial place of worship).
Naatti Bhagavathi (Naatti Amman believed to be Goddess Mookambika), Shiva Temple and Santana Gopala Swami Temples are also considered sacred in Pallassana.
Pallassana has two Brahmin villages called East Village and West Village also called as Melke Grama. In both the villages there are village temples. In East Village, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva and in West Village the village deity is Santhana Gopala Krishna Swami. Apart from that one female deity called Naatti Amman has also a sanctum in this temple.
People of West Pallassana originally Tamilians, came to Pallassana from either the extreme North Malabar side or from Karnataka bordering Kerala. Their ancestors might have shifted to Dwaitha Siddhantha of Madhavacharya from Advaitha Siddhantha of Adi Sankara and settled down in North Malabar or Karnataka. They worship Santhana Gopala Swami as their chief deity. It is possible that while shifting from old place of living, their ancestors might have brought their family deity (possibly Mookambika) along with them and gave an important place in Pallassana West Village and is worshipped as Naatti Amman. After coming to Pallassana their ancestors might have been forced to convert to Advaitha due to circumstances prevailing at that time.
Lord Shiva temple was situated in the middle of a pond and was known as Okkanamkode temple. The priest who did the daily pooja, had to
literally wade across the pond to reach the temple and perform the worship. Lord Shiva has been worshiped here since time immemorial,
specifically for timely rains. If during a particular year, it did not
rain on time for the crops, a special pooja called 'Aayiram Kudam' is
performed. A 1000 pots of water is used for the abhisheka of Lord. This
has brought timely rain always.
As years passed, it became difficult practically for the priest to perform pooja in the temple. So nearly a decade back, the idol was relocated, amidst prayers, and was given a special place in Lord Santana Gopala Temple, where Lord Shiva resides now.
Goddess Naatti Amman is seen as facing West. Its believed that special and devoted prayers for Goddess for seven weeks would enable unmarried people to obtain matrimonial bliss.
Goddess Naatti Amman is seen as facing West. Its believed that special and devoted prayers for Goddess for seven weeks would enable unmarried people to obtain matrimonial bliss.
