Meen Kolathi Kavu
Meen Kolathi means “She who has a tank of fish”. This is a temple of Meenakshi and issituated in the Pallasena village of Palakkad District on the road connecting Palakkad andKollengode.This temple was established by the family of Mandradiyars. This family originallybelonged to Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. After loosing all their business assets, theydecided to migrate to Kerala. They went to the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, which wastheir family deity, before coming to Kerala. The eldest member of the family took a stonefrom Madurai while coming further. He was daily offering worship to the stone. In earlieryears he used to visit Madurai temple every year. Once when he became very old, he kepthis umbrella and the divine stone on the shore and got in to the pond to take bath. Whilebathing he cried because he would not be able to go to Madurai again due to his old age,When he finished his bath, he came out. He could not lift both the Umbrella and the stonefrom there. They had got fixed to the land. When they called astrologers and conductedDeva Prasnam (asking questions to God), they found out that the stone which was fixedto the shore was Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai herself. After 400 years, theMandradiyar family built a temple for Goddess Meenakshi at the same spot. Theyconsecrated the ashta Durgas ( Brahmini, Kaumari, Maheswari, Indri Vaishnavi,Narasimhi and Varahi around the sanctum sanctorum. Because of this no body ispermitted to go round the sanctum sanctorum. The main festivals of the temple arenavarathri, Karthiga, Mandala vilakku , foundation day , and palli vettai and vaira poojai.On festival days, the sword and lamp is taken in procession. People believe that allsickness will vanish , if people bath in the pond opposite the temple.The temple would be open from 5.30 Am to 12.30 Am on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridaysand during the other days between 5.30 Am to 10.30 Am. In the evening it would be openbetween5.30 Pm to 8 Pm.In the temple there are separate sub temples for Ganapathi, , Nagar (snake god) andBhairava.Chandattam to remove problems from enemies is performed during the first Tuesdaysof certain months in this temple .Seperate pooja reciting Bhagya suktham andEikamathya suktham are also done in this temple. In the may-june month (Vaikasi-Edavam) month, the thol pavai Koothu (shadow play using dolls made of leather) isconducted for ten days. They sing and enact the story of Ramayana during this time. Onthe last day, the arrow of Lord Rama is kept in front of the Goddess and is worshipped.Once in 12 years during the full moon day of the same month , a festival called Palli panais celebrated. Fire walking is one of the high light of this festival which is celebrated forfour days. On the fourth day, the demon called Daruka is killed by the Goddess.In the eastern and western part of the temple there are two agraharas ( villages whereBrahmins reside) . In the east side village there is a shiva temple and the west side villagethere is a Vishnu temple. Effect of pilgrimage to Meen Kolathi is considered enhanced ,if we can visit these two temples also.
By
P.R.Ramachander
P.R.Ramachander