Thursday, December 15, 2011

Pisharikavu Temple-Kollam-Calicut



Pisharikavu Temple is located at Kollam, (in Kozhikode district). This location is 30 Km from calicut thru NH-17. One can easily reach there by bus or train. The nearest railway station is Quilandy.                                     

Associated with every temple there would be a myth. Pisharikavu has no exception for this. The noted malayalam scholar Kottarathil Sankunni had mentioned a myth about the origin of Pisharikavu temple in his great work  'Eithihya mala'(collection of myths).

"The Pisharikavu temple was built here by Vaisya community who had came from southern Kerala. This community lived in Kollam (a southern district in Kerala) 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. 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 their country and tried to challenge the authority. The angrier King expelled vaisyas from his Kingdom. The expelled vaisya community later came to Kurubranadu Taluk (Now Koyilandy 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 memorize their old place". Later this temple became famous as Pisharikavu Temple of Kollam (Calciut)


The utsav is celebrated every year during March/April. The date of the "Kodiyettu" is fixed by "Moossadu"(a subcast in Brahmins) and this is known as "Kaliyattam Kurikkal". The 7 days celebrations are concluded with "Kaliyattam". In this day the main idol ("nandhakam vaal") of the temple is taken out of the temple and believers pray for the grace of Devi in an atmosphere of Bhakti.

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