Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple
| Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple | |
|---|---|
 Kulathupuzha Sastha temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kollam |
| Deity | Balasastha |
| Festivals | Thiruulsavam in Medam, Vishu mahotsavam |
| Governing body | Travancore Devaswom Board |
| Location | |
| Location | Kulathupuzha |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
  Location in Kerala | |
| Geographic coordinates | 8°54′30″N 77°03′20″E / 8.9082295°N 77.055501°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Traditional Kerala style |
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located on the banks of Kulathupuzha river, a tributary of Kallada River.[1][2] It is located in Kulathupuzha in Punalur taluk of Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The presiding deity there is Lord Ayyappa in the form of Balasastha.[3] It is also one among the pancha sastha shrines and one of the 108 Sastha shrines in Kerala. The idol there is believed to be installed by Lord Parashurama, and is made up of eight pieces of stones. The temple is constructed as per Kerala style of Temple Architecture.
Deity
Lord Ayyappa is the principal deity. He is in the form of Balasastha (child form of Ayyappa) and commonly known as 'Kulathupuzha Balakan'.[4] There is a popular song titled 'Kulathupuzhayile Balakane' praising the deity of this temple, along with the deities of Achankovil, Aryankavu, Sasthamcotta, Chamravattom and Sabarimala temples.
Location of temple
The temple is located by the shores of Kallada River within Kulathupuzha Reserve Forest range at the east part of Kollam district.[5] The Hill Highway that pass through Kulathupuzha connects temple with Punalur, Anchal and Kollam. The State Highway 2 that passes through Kulathupuzha connects the temple with National Highway 744, Thiruvananthapuram district and Tenkasi district.
The nearest railway station is at Thenmala in Kollam–Sengottai Line, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi).[6]
The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport. (65 kms)
Subordinate deities
The deity here is in a fierce mood (ugramūrti) as well as in auspicious mood (mangalapradāyakan). Shiva, Yakshi, Vishnu, Ganapathi, Boothathan, Nagar, and Karuppaswami are the other subordinate deities in the temple.[7][1]
Legend
Legend has it that the temple was founded by Pandalam raja, but the idol of Sastha was founded by a Brahmin from Kottarakkara. Earlier, the temple was under the possession of Kottarakkara raja. Later it was handed over to Travancore devaswom board. The tantric rights of the temple are held by Kokkalathu mutt.[8]
Thirumakkal of Ayyappa
The temple pond preserves a number of fishes, as they are considered to the favorite ones of Lord Ayyappa. Devotees offer Meenoottu vazhipadu for healing the warts in the skin.[9] Devotees are concerned about protecting the fishes in this pond. They are known as the Thirumakkal (transl. Holy children) of Lord Ayyappa. Most of this fishes are belonging to species Tor khudree and Hypselobarbus thomassi that are having threat of extinction.[10] Fishing is also strictly prohibited here.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Kulathupuzha Ayyappa Temple - MyTemple | DailyHunt". DailyHunt. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- ^ "Kulathupuzha - a village famous for Lord Ayyappa temple in Kollam | Kerala Tourism". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Kulathupuzha in Kollam Kerala Tourism - Book Your Kerala Tour Incredible Kerala Tour Packages Book Your Kerala Tour Incredible Kerala Tour Packages". incrediblekerala.org. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- ^ Pereira, Ignatius. "The mountain trails of a divine legend". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- ^ "Ayyappa temple at Kulathupuzha". www.hindu-blog.com.
- ^ "Kulathupuzha temple". www.sabarimalaaccomodation.com.
- ^ a b "Welcome to Sabarimalaayyappa.org". sabarimalaayyappa.org. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "History of Kulathupuzha sastha temple in Kollam". keralamythology.blogspot.in.
- ^ "KERALA TEMPLES - KULATHUPUZHA AYYAPPAN". www.thekeralatemples.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- ^ "India Biodiversity Portal". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 16 October 2021.