The Achankovil Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located near the banks of the Achankovil River in the Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the five important temples dedicated to Shasta in Kerala, the others being Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu, Sabarimala and Kanthamala.[1] The idol in the temple is believed to have been consecrated by Parashurama.[2] The temple is known for curing poisonous snakebites. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers the temple.[3]
Location
The temple is located near the banks of the river Achankovil.[4] It is situated in the panchayat of Aryankavu in the Kollam district of Kerala.[1] The temple is situated about Template:Cvt from Punalur and Template:Cvt from Kollam.
Deities
The principal deity of the temple is Shasta.[5] He is locally known as "Achankovil Andavan" or "Achankovil Arasan".[4][6] Shasta is depicted as a Gṛhastha (householder), along with his two consorts, Purna and Pushkala, on either side.[7]
Bhagavati, Maalikapurathamma, Durga, Nagaraja, Nagayakshi, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Karuppu Sami, Karuppayi Amma, Cheppanimundan, Chappanimaadan, Madanthevan, Kalamadan, Kochattinarayanan, Singali Bhootathan and Arukola are the subordinate deities.[8] The back portion of the temple has a Sarpa Kavu, where Naga is worshipped.[8]
Snakebite treatment
Achankovil temple is known for curing poisonous snakebites,[7] and the deity is considered a Maha Vaidya (great physician).[9] The right palm of the Shasta idol holds Template:Lang (sandalwood paste) and Theertham (holy water), which according to the devotees have medicinal properties.[10] This is one of the rare temples that opens at night if necessary after the Template:Lang. Those who get bitten by snakes can call for help at any time by ringing the temple bell, and the temple priests will help them.[11][7] The person bitten by the snake is given sandalwood paste as prasadam and medicine and needs to stay at the temple for three or five days, depending on the severity of the poison.[8]
Festivals
The Template:Lang is one of the important festivals in the temple. It is held every year from the first to the tenth day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu (DecemberTemplate:En dashJanuary).[2] Template:Lang is another main festival hosted in the Malayalam month of Template:Lang (JanuaryTemplate:En dashFebruary). The temple is also one of the important temples in Kerala to conduct the Template:Lang (chariot festival).[11] Template:Lang and Template:Lang are the major attractions during the festival time. The festivals and rituals have similarity to the Tamil traditions.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pilgrimage to Temple Heritage 2019{{#if:Infokerala Communications Pvt. Ltd.|, Infokerala Communications Pvt. Ltd.}. Info Kerala Communications Pvt Ltd(September 2019). ISBN 9788193456781
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Achankovil Shastha Temple | Sabarimala. sabarimala.kerala.gov.in. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ↑ 5 Temples Part of Sabarimala Pilgrimage Circuit, Vidyanandan, MS. The New Indian Express(18 January 2016). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The mountain trails of a divine legend. The Hindu(18 December 2013). Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ↑ ശാസ്താവിന്റെ ആറ് വിശിഷ്ട ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളും ദർശനഫലവും, Kumar, R. Sanjeev. ManoramaOnline(16 January 2019). Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 കാട്ടിൽ മറഞ്ഞ കാന്തമല; അദ്ഭുതങ്ങളുടെ ആ അഞ്ച് ക്ഷേത്രം, Rajappan, T. K.. ManoramaOnline(15 November 2018). Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Women and Sabarimala: The Science behind Restrictions{{#if:Joseph|, Joseph}. Notion Press(2 December 2019). ISBN 9781647336349
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Sri Ayyappan{{#if:Ramkumar|, Ramkumar}. Siso Books(September 2002). ISBN 9788177970333
- ↑ The Secret of Sabarimala Temple and Kundalini{{#if:Sirdesai|, Sirdesai}. Notion Press(26 June 2019). ISBN 9781684668229
- ↑ Asian Religions, Technology and Science{{#if:Sarma|, Sarma}. Taylor & Francis(27 March 2015). ISBN 9781317674481
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Manimandapavum Thankadwajavum{{#if:P. Ananthan|, P. Ananthan}. Blue Rose Publishers(11 July 2022)