Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shasta, located in Kulathupuzha in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is one of the five important Sastha temples in Kerala, the others being Aryankavu, Achankovil, Sabarimala and Kanthamala.[1] The idol there is believed to have been installed by Parashurama and is made up of eight pieces of stone.[1] The temple is known for the Meenoottu (fish feeding) offering.[2] The temple is governed by the Travancore Devaswom Board.[3]
Location
The temple is located in Kulathupuzha in the tehsil of Punalur in Kollam district. It is situated about Template:Convert from Kollam on the banks of the Kulathupuzha River, a tributary of the Kallada River.[1][4]
Legend
According to the legend, the Kulathupuzha temple is one of the five Sastha temples founded by Parashurama.[5] It is also believed that Sastha allowed a Template:Lang (mermaid), who had a lust for him, to live in the temple pond in the form of a fish.[6] A common belief is that the temple was founded by the Raja of Pandalam,[7] but the idol of Sastha was founded by a Brahmin from Kottarakkara. Earlier, the temple was in the possession of the king of Kottarakkara. It was later handed over to the Travancore Devaswom Board. The tantric rights of the temple are held by the Kokkalathu Mutt.
Deities
The principal deity of the temple is Shasta. He is in the form of Balasastha (child form) and is commonly known as Kulathupuzha Balakan.[1] There is a popular song titled "Kulathupuzhayile Balakane" praising the deity of the temple. The deity here is in a fierce mood (ugramūrti) as well as in an auspicious mood (mangalapradāyakan). Shiva, Yakshi, Vishnu, Ganesha, Boothathan, Nāga, and Karuppu Sami are the subordinate deities.[8][9]
Offerings
The temple pond preserves a number of fish, as they are considered to be the favorites of Shasta. Devotees offer Template:Lang (fish feeding) for healing the warts in the skin.[10] The fish are known as Template:Lang (divine children).[6] Most of them belong to the species Tor khudree and Hypselobarbus thomassi, which are at risk of extinction.[11] Fishing is also strictly prohibited here.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The mountain trails of a divine legend. The Hindu(18 December 2013). Retrieved 2016-12-23.
- ↑ കാട്ടിൽ മറഞ്ഞ കാന്തമല; അദ്ഭുതങ്ങളുടെ ആ അഞ്ച് ക്ഷേത്രം, Rajappan, T. K.. ManoramaOnline(15 November 2018). Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ↑ ശാസ്താവിന്റെ ആറ് വിശിഷ്ട ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളും ദർശനഫലവും, Kumar, R. Sanjeev. ManoramaOnline(16 January 2019). Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ↑ Kerala Tradition & Fascinating Destinations 2018{{#if:Infokerala Communications Pvt Ltd|, Infokerala Communications Pvt Ltd}. Info Kerala Communications Pvt Ltd(31 August 2018). ISBN 9788193456743
- ↑ Life in Twilight{{#if:Ghosh|, Ghosh}. Kavya Publications(2021). ISBN 978-93-90707-53-9
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Manimandapavum Thankadwajavum{{#if:P. Ananthan|, P. Ananthan}. Blue Rose Publishers(11 July 2022)
- ↑ Kerala Devaswom Board Previous Year Question Paper 2006 To 2022{{#if:C. V.|, C. V.}. Nidheesh C. V.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Welcome to Sabarimalaayyappa.org. sabarimalaayyappa.org. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
- ↑ Kulathupuzha Ayyappa Temple - MyTemple | DailyHunt. DailyHunt. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
- ↑ കൊടുങ്കാടിനുള്ളിൽ എവിടെയോ മറഞ്ഞ കിടക്കുന്ന അയ്യപ്പ ക്ഷേത്രം കാന്തമല; അസാധാരണ സവിശേഷതകളുമായി അഞ്ച് അയ്യപ്പ ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങൾ. Janam TV(15 November 2020). Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ↑ India Biodiversity Portal. India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2021-10-16.