MEENAM UTSAVAM PISHARIKKAVU DEVI TEMPLE, KOLLAM Panchayat/ Municipality/ Koyilandi Municipality Corporation LOCATION District Kozhikode Nearest Town/ Anakulam Bus Stop – 250 m Landmark/ Junction Nearest Bus station Koyilandi Bus Stand – 3 Km Nearest Railway Koyilandi Railway Station –3 Km station ACCESSIBILITY Nearest Airport Calicut International Airport –51Km Pisharikkavu Devi Temple Pishaarikavu Road Anakkulam, Viyyur Koyilandy – 673305 CONTACT Phone : +91- 496-2620568 DATES FREQUENCY DURATION TIME April-May (Medam) Annual 8 Days ABOUT THE FESTIVAL (Legend/History/Myth) Pisharikkavu is a temple near Koilandy . The sword called Nandakam is worshipped here as the Goddess. It seems a group of Nair diamond merchants who were belonging to Kollam of Southern Kerala were great devotees of the Goddess. The Goddess had given them her sword called Nandakam and asked them to worship the sword instead of her. Since they were opposed to the very powerful king Marthanda Verma, they were forced to run away from their native place. They migrated to the northern part of Kerala and settled down near Koilandy. They decided to call the place of their new settlement as “Kollam” in memory of their native place. They also built a temple for the sword Nandakam and called it Pisharikkavu. Local Approximately 5000 RELEVANCE- NO. OF PEOPLE (Local / National / International) PARTICIPATED EVENTS/PROGRAMS DESCRIPTION (How festival is celebrated) The eight day annual festival of the Pishakarikavu temple is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam (April- May). Moossadu, a sub cast of Brahmins fix the date of Kodiyettu Kodiyettu (flag hoisting) and the rite is known as 'Kaliyattam Kurikkal'. Kaliyattam Temple arts such as Thayambaka, Pachavadyam, Aarppu Vili Padhakom, Ottanthullal, Chakyarkoothu are performed Thayambaka during the festive days and on the final day, the main idol, Panchavadyam 'Nandakam Vaal' (sword) is taken out of the temple in a Ottanthullal grand procession. This ceremonial procession has around Chakyarkoothu 15 caparisoned elephants with the sword taken around atop one of them.The festival concludes with 'Kaliyattam'. Another interesting festival ritual here is ‘Aarppu Vili’ or boisterous shouting. .