Panchayath/ Municipality/ Muncipality Corporation

LOCATION District

Nearest Town/ Thaliparambu Landmark/ Junction

Nearest Bus statio Parassinikadavu - 450m

Nearest Railway -11.7km statio ACCESSIBILITY

Nearest Airport Kannur airport -30.7 km

Hemanth Lakshmanan (family member of the temple administration family) Parassini Madappura PO. Parassinikadavu Kannur Dt. - 670563. Mob : 9447 436 862 CONTACT Email : [email protected] DATES FREQUENCY DURATION

TIME November /December ( Vrishchikam) Annual 1 day

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL (Legend/History/Myth)

A version of the legend of Ponnu is narrated here: Naduvazhi of Ayyankara Brahmin family in village and his wife, Padikutty Antharjanam, had no offsprings. Padikutty Antharjanam was an ardent devotee of and when she found a baby floating in a basket of flowers in the river water when she was coming back after a bath in the river, she took it as the blessing of Lord Shiva, and so was her husband. The child grew up and in his boyhood, he was always for the benefit of downtrodden and poor people. However, to the agony of his family he practiced hunting, and also started eating flesh, which was not allowed for a Brahmin. Unable to bear the indictments from his family, the boy decided to leave home. When his mother attempted to stop him, he looked at her in fury and appeared in his original godly figure before the parent. She bowed down before her son. Nonetheless, she requested him to cover his eyes with a Poikannu, a type of shield for the eyes, since she was afraid that such a fiery look on another occasion may cause to emanate the cosmic force, Shakti, that could change the entire world. Wearing a shield on his eyes, he left the family, and passed through various villages in Malabar, such as Kunnathurpadi, Puralimala, Padavil, , Kannapuram, Parassinikadavu and Valluvankadav.

The legend relates Muthappan with a tribal family for the divine boy started being called as "Muthappan". Accordingly, when he reached a village called Kunnathurpadi, he got a tribalman, Chantan as his friend. One day, when he saw Chantan tapping toddy from Palm tree the boy asked for it but was denied. All of sudden, Chantan was cursed and became a stone. His wife prayed and offered to perform the rituals, Oottu, Tiruvappana and Amruthakalasam, to propitiate the boy in the month of Dhanu. The boy relented and gave her husband back. The Chantan family started to conduct pooja to propitiate the boy and they called him in the name: "Muthappan". However, according to another version of the legend Muthappan climbed the tree and emptied the toddy jar in the absence of Chantan. When Chantan returned and saw Muthappan holding the jar, he was provoked and defied the latter. It was at this instant, Chantan was cursed. The chieftain of a nearby village, Kunnathurpadi, who belonged to Karakattidam family, came to know this incident and invited Muthappan to his family. Hence the people of Kunnathurpadi village also started performing rituals to propitiate Muthappan. The legend also describes a dog which always followed Muthappan throughout his journey. Hence, in the temple of Muthappan, dogs are considered divine and the temple entrance has an idol of dog, at both sides. Another version of the legend characterizes Sree muthappan as the son of a Thiyya women, Paadikkutty, and hence the people of Thiyya caste consider Muthappan as their principal deity.

Local Approximately 3000 RELEVANCE- NO. OF PEOPLE (Local / National / International) PARTICIPATED

EVENTS/PROGRAMS DESCRIPTION (How festival is celebrated)

Puthari Thiruvappana festival, conducted on 16 Vrichikam (this day corresponds to December) , is the first Thiruvappana of the temple year. It is Muthappan associated with the harvesting season of the region. The last Special offerings Thiruvappana of the temple year is on 30 Kanni every year. Religious discourses

Every morning, the main priest of the temple called as the Madayan performs a ritual Theyyam dance. Devotees believe that the priest becomes possessed by the spirit of the deity and acquires divine powers. Performing the role of Muthappan Theyyam, he blesses devotees who have assembled in the temple. This performance is held in the evening too. This is the only temple in where Theyyam is performed year round as a ritual.

The main presiding deity of the temple is Muthappan , supposed to be a manifestation of Lord Shiva in the disguise of a Kiratha ( hunter). Quite unique are the offerings and rituals here. The common offering to the deity include toddy. Special offerings known as Vehiringadu and Neerkari are also given on auspicious days.