Sri Mulayankavu Bhagavathy Temple, Kulukallur

Legend and History

Mulayankavilamma's plateau, filled with the village sanctity of Valluvanad, lies westward from the heartland of Palakkad, close to Malappuram district in the warmth of Kuntipuzha. Sri Mulayankavu Bhagavathy Temple is also a famous temple in Kerala due to its rituals, and abundance of festivals. The area of platform is vast and includes village panchayat areas of Kulukallur, Nellaya, Vallapuzha, and Chalavara in the Palakkad district. Mulayankavu temple legend is also similar to the story of Devikshetra origin. The area where the temple stands today was once a forest full of bamboo. A Harijan Samutrayam woman who came here was horrified to see blood oozing out of the rock while rubbing the working weapon in her possession to sharpen it. Legend has it that the Nair went to the villager of Veluttedam and conveyed this information and the villager Thampran later built a temple and consecrated it in the place of the stone which he saw as Swayambhu. Even today, the temple and the village where the temple is located are known by the name Mulayankavu, either because of the area full of bamboo forests or because the Goddess Chaitanya was identified as a Mulaya woman.

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That is why in temple rituals and rituals, serfs and agricultural workers have a special place. The people of the Cheru Kot Kakkadi Kunnath family have got this position. Mulayankavu is a rare temple with two mukhamandapams. There is a legend associated with it. In the past, an elephant was brought to the temple.The goddess Balaswarupini did not like it and the goddess, who was facing the north, turned to the west in anger. Devotees believe that the elephant, which was scared by the anger of the goddess, turned into a rock due to the curse of the goddess. Similarly, it is said that the laborers who came to collect bamboo in the temple land full of bamboo groves got scared of the elephant and took shelter from the goddess and the goddess chased the elephant away and turned it into stone at a distant place. One kilometer away from the temple, in Vandum Thara land, on the side of the Koppam-Mulayankav road, on the way up to Malamcheru, there is an elephant-shaped and sized boulder for these kathaks. It can still be seen today as a sign. It is also said that once the workers tried to break this rock and got scared when they saw blood coming from the stone. However, it is interesting to note that this area is still known as Anapara. Since the goddess was facing west, this side of the temple also has a mukhamandapam. Although the devotees can get direct darshan here,the main offering of the temple is Guruthi Tarpanam, as well as the important ceremonies of bullocking in connection with the bullocking work, setting the plate for the puram and ther ezhunnallip are performed on the north side. The right to open the north side belongs to the Athrassery Manakas. The flagpole is on the north side. It is also noteworthy that Koothu Madam has been completed parallel to this walk. It is also special that the idol of Bhagwati is almost like the idol of Sabarimala Ayyappaswamy. Acharya Sthaniyas believe that such a deity is rare in the goddess temples themselves. Devgnyas say that the reason for such a situation may be the mischief of the goddess in her childhood. Due to the concept of dual aspect, he is wearing a palliwal and Bhadravatakam in both hands. Mulayankavu is also a temple without sub-deities. The ghost of Sri Kunjunni, who is an immortal body, has taken refuge in the temple grounds in front of Pat Kotil near Padinjare Nata. It is customary to light a lamp here daily. Adjacent to this floor is the Purvachara floor. It is customary for devotees to throng here.

Mulayankavilamma's plateau consists of ten land areas, four land areas of Ezhuvantala, four land areas of Ezhuvantala, and Vallapuzha land area. Mulayankavu is also a rare temple in Kollam that has two bullocks and two poorams.Udayastamana Puja, Guruti Puja,The main offerings of Bhagwati are Kalampat, Chuttuvilak and Niramala. During the entire month of Scorpio, the lamp is lit every day and at the end of the month, the Scorpio Thalapoli is performed. Kalampat starts from Makara Chouva and sometimes continues till Meena month depending on the number of offerings by the devotees. It is customary to dance around on the last day of the song. Bhagwati's Pratistha Day (Goddess's birthday) is celebrated on Punartam day in the month of Pisces. Those who come to the temple on that day are served rich Prasada in Deshakootaima. In recent years, there has been a tradition of presenting the Sri Mulayankavilamma award to selected artists. In the month of Meena itself, small bullocking and Edapuram are celebrated. The ten thara deshas take turns to celebrate this. Vadakkethara land, Thekethara land, Mapattukara land, Chundangathara land, Natyathara land, Eravathara land, A Pulathara land, Parianampatthara land, Vantumthara land and Puramathara land. Weeding, the main function of Kala, Vela is also done in the same order. Mulayankavi is a festival where Medam lasts for a month. Medam sees Vishukani on the first day and performs Kotippurappad on the second day, Panevela on the third, Chapupevala on the fourth, Karivela on the fourth, the fifth work on the fifth (Ezhuvantala, outer land) and the seventh work of the people of Ezhuvantala, is still being taken care of by the national community. Tholpava Kooth, which lasts for 25 days from the fifth vela, is based on the Ramayana story from Panchavadi Prevesha to Pattabhishekam. Munnarkod Panikkan Mark has the right to run the Kooth.Cherukot, Vallapuzha, Vandum Thara lands bring land work. Separate days are also fixed for each desha for desha vela. Vallapuzha Desa Vela Day is the day when night Pooram is performed. The right to do this belongs to them but the right to perform Desapoor belongs to Pulakattiri Nair clans. On the day of performing Puram, the people of this place write writing on paper and read it in front of the villagers.Vandum thara deshas have small bullock work according to their turn and desa work during the year.

Except for Cherukot land, all the other peoples of the country come to the temple with bullocks tethered for bullock work. But for the big Pooram, the people of Cherukot need to go to the north side of the Harijanavela temple grounds and bow down to Bhagwati. Even today, the Paraya community of Vandumtara Harijan group fasts to the temple and bows down to the goddess by tying the Pariyaputan and the bull to the temple. It is also worth mentioning that Mulayankavu festivals are remnants of agricultural culture and are carried out by the Mannan community of the Harijan community. No special pujas or offerings are performed in the temple on Pooram day. On that day, it is believed that the goddess comes to thatched houses. That is why it is customary to offer stew to the goddess in thatched houses. The main ceremony is the ther ezhunnallip from the talapoli padam. The tramping game that begins in the morning of Puram day is the music and dance sculpture of Atiyalas. The tramping game ends when the national chariots move to the Talapoli field. The Kudan community members belonging to the Harijan community are the bearers of Chavittu Kali Peruma in Valluvanad. After three circumambulation of Thirumuttam with musical ensembles of Kavulgudiya Desatheras, there will be dance of the light pad and Ariyer. The right of management of large bullocks belongs to the outlanders. Puram is run under the charge of Devaswat. The temple is under Malabar Devaswom Board. Brahmashree Andaladi Manaikal Parameswaran (Unni) Namboothiripad is the temple Tantri and Jalamana Girish Emprantiri is temple Melshanti. Bhagavathy's komaram is Jayaprakash's light. Pulavahi Unni Nair is the present Palakurussi Nair (lamp bearer). The people of the temple are Cherukot Tharakkal Variyatkars. Temple Welfare Committees consisting of 10 floors and 4 deshakars and the Restoration Committee worked for the development of the temple. The temple development affairs are being looked after by the non-traditional board of trustees newly formed on 20 November 2018 under the Malabar Devaswom Board. The executive officer of the Malabar Devaswom Board is in charge of the temple administration.