Kavasseri
Encyclopedia
Kavasseri is a small village in the Alathur
Taluk in Palakkad district
of Kerala
state, south India
.
and the nearest railway station is Palakkad Junction.
River Gayatri, a tributary river to Bharathappuzha
, passes through the village.
The main economic activity of the people is cultivation (Paddy) Majority of the population is of Hindus. The village is farm based. Sree Parakkad Bhagavathy temple, Ganapathi temple, Sree Krishna temple and Ayyappa temple are the Hindu shrines. Out of these, Parakkad Bhagavathy temple adorns the cap of captain.
Kavasseri is a group of 6 Brahmin villages. These villages are Nellithara gramam, Oattupperai gramam, Easwara pattar gramam, Venkachi gramam (old name new name is Mullakkal gramam),Kongalakode gramam and Naanu Pattar gramam. The settlement had over 200 households. Nelllitherai Gramam had more of Otta Madhoms where as rest were typical row houses. The Oattuperai gramam got its name obviously due to houses there getting tiled (Oatu = tile) roof earlier than others. Each gramam had their own gramadevatha or deity with temple for Mahaganapathy, Siva, Krishna, Ayyappa etc. The annual utsavams for Siva and MahaGanapathy temples and Sasthapreethy are jointly conducted by all the six villages together and well attended.
The famous Parakkad Bhagavathi Temple is common for all the 6 villages, and is open to all communities now and is run by the Devaswom Board. The Pratishta here is of SapthaMathakkal and main deity is "Parasakthi" in the form of "Varahi". The main idol is of Wood (Pilavu or Jack fruit tree). Hence along with this there is also Prathishta in "Linga form" in the normal granite for which Abhishekam is performed. The biggest annual festival is the Pooram. Kavasseri Pooram is supposed to be next best to Thrissur Pooram and a major attraction used to be Pancha Vadyam and sinkari melam. There is of course vediKKettu, Elephants, Ezhunnallippu etc. This is an annual function held in the month of March for this famous Bhagavathi Temple at Parakkad. In the year 2000, Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in the Parakkad Bhagavathi Temple and the Krishna temple on a grand scale. Most of the villages retain the old character and houses are still retained by the Brahmin community except in one of the villages.
Seven days prior to the Pooram Festival, its start is marked by the performance of the Kodiyettam (flag hoisting) at Koottala
. Then, every day until the festival itself starts, there exists a festive mood in the three villages. During these days, Niramala and Vilakku are performed in the temple. On the day of the festival, it is inaugurated by the Eaaduvedi, which is performed first by Vavilliapuram, followed by Kazhani and finally Kavasseri. Then an elephant's procession starts from Koottala. The procession passes through Ganapathi Temple, Eaduvedialu, Kaalichira, Moolichira, Chembarathi and finally reaches the Sree Parakkattu Bhagavati Temple.
In the night there are several programs at the temple. Night Pooram starts with the arrival of Vellakuthira and the procession from Kavassery Kammanthara (village of Artisans). The fireworks are performed, followed by a chariot by Vavilliapuram, then from Kazhani and then from Kavasseri. The procession accompanying the chariot usually consists of each village's representatives. The next day, there is a Pooja at the temple after which it remains closed for seven days. On the seventh day, to mark the end of the festival, Kooravali is performed, meaning the pulling back down of the flag.
In addition to Pooram Festival, there are other festivals such as Ekadasi Vilakku at Kongalakode Sree Krishna Temple, Vishnu Vela at Sri Ayyappan Temple and the Mariamman Vilakku.
The almighty, Pallikkadi, parakkadi, kunnaikadi, and kodikkady named 4 goddesses together started from a place called Thiruvadi. The myth goes like, after a long journey, the goddess Pallikkadi has settled down in a place called, Paruvassery in Kannabra, the goddess Kunnakkadi settled down in Thennilapuram, the goddess Kodikkadi has settled down in vadakkancheri. But the Goddess Parakkady, after resting in Chakyar kodoth, in kavassery, proceeded to a place where PARAYA community people have lived. Its been believed that the goddess Parakkady has went in to a home in that place, and told the people that, the goddess want to settle down there and the people should conduct poojas and festivals there. But the poor people replied to the goddess that, they were very poor people and they are not financially sound to conduct poojas and festivals. Its said that, by hearing that, The goddess gave a “Kuzhal” (a musical instrument like trumpet) and few other musical instruments and asked them to think of the goddess and go, there by they will be able to get all the things what they required to conduct poojas and festivals. Then the goddess left the place after seeing the in-hygiene surroundings and settled down in the place where the existing temple situates.
Myth 2
Its been believed that, one day, when the Goddess was walking in the dense forest, one Manthravadi was coming along the way who was going for fishing. With the powerful RAKSHA which the manthravadi was wearing, he was able to concur the goddess and asked her to carry the fish carrier (kooda) and walk with him. That manthravadi was believed to be Chathu ammaman of Kulangara house. One day, when the manthravadi was on his way to fishing, and lost his powerful raksha, Devi shown him the real power of her and killed Chathu ammaman, and cut in to 18.5 pieces and thrown in to different places. Those places has been asked to raise the flag post before 7 days of mamangam which is been held in that place. The goddess also ordered that, in response to the activity of chathu ammaman, the ladies of Kulangara family should carry the goddess’s vigraham, and should come to all the 18.5 flag posts. That’s called “OORVALAM”. That activity has become the right of Kulangara family. There are many such myths regarding this temple, but the main fact is that, the Goddess is so powerful and her blessings have always brought the disciples all the goodness and the good things they have asked for.
is around 4 km away from Kavasseri. Alathur lies on NH 47 highway connecting Palghat and Thrissur. Alathur houses some colleges which serves as a source for nearby villages.
Padur
is around 5 km from Kavasseri. The famous festival of Padur is Padur Vela.
Athipotta
, 4 km away from Kavasseri is famous for Mangottu Kavu Temple.
Pazhayannur
is famous for the Bhagavathy Temple and Shiva Temple. It is about 13 km from Kavasseri.
Thiruvilwamala
, also spelt as Thiruvilluamala is famous for Vilwadrinatha Temple
, which is among the rare Sri Rama temples in Kerala. Thiruviwamala has many other temples of ancient years and have more than four Shiva temples. Ivor Madom, the Krishna temple, is famous for the ceremonies performed in order to ensure peace for the soul of the dead.
Kunissery
is around 11 km from Kavasseri. Kunisseri is known outside for its famous Kummatti festival celebrated in Pookulangara Bhagawathi temple during March/April. The Kummatti is performed in front of the procession of 10 tuskers.
Another attraction of Kummatti is a folk art called Ponnani Kali.
Chitoor is around 20 km from Kavasseri and close to palakkad. Chitoor is the home for a beautiful bhagavathy temple and shiva temple.
Kuzhalmannam is about 20 km from Kavasseri. Every Saturday, at the weekly market at Kuzhalmannam, cattle are traded in large numbers. Cattle are brought from Tamil Nadu to be sold to Trissur district and beyond. The southern districts of Kerala are major consumers of beef. The sight of cattle bundled into trucks without any consideration for their safety or comfort is really distressing, but there has been no action from any animal rights group or SPCA so far.
Pallassena
about 30 km from Kavasseri houses the famous Meenkulathi Bhagavathy Temple. The route map to Pallassena is Kavasseri->Alathur->PuthuNagaram->Pallassena. Pallassena is close to kollengode and koduvayur. People from districts of Coimbatore, Pollachi and nearby places in Tamil Nadu throngs the temple.
Vazhenkada
is around 50 km from Kavasseri. The route map for reaching Vazhenkada is Kavasseri->Thiruvilvamala->Ottapalam->
Cherupalassery->Thootha->Vazhenkada.Vazhenkada has a picturesque temple for SRI NARASIMHAMOORTHY.
Nelliampathi
is around 40 km from Kavasseri. Nelliampathi also known as Poor's people Ooty is beautiful and gorgeous. The trek route from Kaikatty(first town of nelliampathi) to Manpara hill is awe-inspiring. The route map for reaching Nelliampathi is Kavasseri->Vadakkanchery->Nemmara->Nelliampathi.
Pothundi Dam
is about 23 km from Kavasseri. Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam constructed in the 19th century. Nelliampathi hills can be seen from Pothundi Dam.
Mayilaadumpara about 10 km from Kavasseri is the home of Choolanur Peacock Sanctuary. Sprawling over 500 hectares of thick forest, this sanctuary is a home to around 200 peacocks.The Sanctuary offers shelter to diverse and rich species of birds. There are over 100 diverse species of avifauna in the Sanctuary. The route map is Kavasseri->Kazhini Chungam-> Athipotta -> A board after athipotta indicates a right turn into Mayilaadumpara. You can contact the forest officials there to make a trek into the forests.
Nearest Railway Junction is Palakkad Railway Station.
The nearest international airport is Coimbatore Airport
, which is about 52 km from Palakkad and about 85 km from Kavassery. Coimbatore airport has connecting flights to Singapore
, Sharjah
, Colombo
, apart from major Indian cities
.
Alathur
Alathur is a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. It is the headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated at the south west end of the district 24 km from the district headquarters at Palakkad. Alathur Taluk is predominantly rural and has an agricultural economy...
Taluk in Palakkad district
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
.
General information
Kavasseri is situated on the Alathur-Pazhayannur Road. Kavasseri is about 3 km from Alathur and 37 km from Palakkad. The nearest airport is in CoimbatoreCoimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and the nearest railway station is Palakkad Junction.
River Gayatri, a tributary river to Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha , also known as River Nila, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second-longest river in Kerala, after the Periyar River. The word "Nila" indicates the culture more than just a river. Nila has groomed the culture and life of south...
, passes through the village.
The main economic activity of the people is cultivation (Paddy) Majority of the population is of Hindus. The village is farm based. Sree Parakkad Bhagavathy temple, Ganapathi temple, Sree Krishna temple and Ayyappa temple are the Hindu shrines. Out of these, Parakkad Bhagavathy temple adorns the cap of captain.
Kavasseri is a group of 6 Brahmin villages. These villages are Nellithara gramam, Oattupperai gramam, Easwara pattar gramam, Venkachi gramam (old name new name is Mullakkal gramam),Kongalakode gramam and Naanu Pattar gramam. The settlement had over 200 households. Nelllitherai Gramam had more of Otta Madhoms where as rest were typical row houses. The Oattuperai gramam got its name obviously due to houses there getting tiled (Oatu = tile) roof earlier than others. Each gramam had their own gramadevatha or deity with temple for Mahaganapathy, Siva, Krishna, Ayyappa etc. The annual utsavams for Siva and MahaGanapathy temples and Sasthapreethy are jointly conducted by all the six villages together and well attended.
The famous Parakkad Bhagavathi Temple is common for all the 6 villages, and is open to all communities now and is run by the Devaswom Board. The Pratishta here is of SapthaMathakkal and main deity is "Parasakthi" in the form of "Varahi". The main idol is of Wood (Pilavu or Jack fruit tree). Hence along with this there is also Prathishta in "Linga form" in the normal granite for which Abhishekam is performed. The biggest annual festival is the Pooram. Kavasseri Pooram is supposed to be next best to Thrissur Pooram and a major attraction used to be Pancha Vadyam and sinkari melam. There is of course vediKKettu, Elephants, Ezhunnallippu etc. This is an annual function held in the month of March for this famous Bhagavathi Temple at Parakkad. In the year 2000, Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in the Parakkad Bhagavathi Temple and the Krishna temple on a grand scale. Most of the villages retain the old character and houses are still retained by the Brahmin community except in one of the villages.
Religion
Sree Parakkattu Bhagavati, who resides in the Sree Parakkattu Temple, is the presiding deity of Kavasseri. The temple is surrounded by thick forests. The main festival in the temple is Pooram. It falls on the Pooram star in the month of Meenam in the Malayalam Calendar. The Pooram Festival is an important event every year, in which three villages participate, namely Vavilliapuram, Kazhani and Kavasseri.Seven days prior to the Pooram Festival, its start is marked by the performance of the Kodiyettam (flag hoisting) at Koottala
Koottala
Koottala is a village in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. , the village had a population of 2594 people spread over 572 households.The name Koottala coming from the language Malayalam Aal , because once upon a time there have lot of banyan tree grows together....
. Then, every day until the festival itself starts, there exists a festive mood in the three villages. During these days, Niramala and Vilakku are performed in the temple. On the day of the festival, it is inaugurated by the Eaaduvedi, which is performed first by Vavilliapuram, followed by Kazhani and finally Kavasseri. Then an elephant's procession starts from Koottala. The procession passes through Ganapathi Temple, Eaduvedialu, Kaalichira, Moolichira, Chembarathi and finally reaches the Sree Parakkattu Bhagavati Temple.
In the night there are several programs at the temple. Night Pooram starts with the arrival of Vellakuthira and the procession from Kavassery Kammanthara (village of Artisans). The fireworks are performed, followed by a chariot by Vavilliapuram, then from Kazhani and then from Kavasseri. The procession accompanying the chariot usually consists of each village's representatives. The next day, there is a Pooja at the temple after which it remains closed for seven days. On the seventh day, to mark the end of the festival, Kooravali is performed, meaning the pulling back down of the flag.
In addition to Pooram Festival, there are other festivals such as Ekadasi Vilakku at Kongalakode Sree Krishna Temple, Vishnu Vela at Sri Ayyappan Temple and the Mariamman Vilakku.
History Of Temple
Its believed that, In order to get Shaapa Moksha from the Goddess, the king of Palakkad, who has lived in Meledam, gave the paddy fields (of kalichira, moolichira, chembarahty) and the nearby areas in the name of the Goddess Parakkady for the poojas and other activities. After some time, the king gave the administration to thiruvadi Kodanath Nair Tharavadu. Then after its been entrusted to mullakal village Pattali (Brahmin Family). Goddess Parakkady came in the dream of Krishna Pattar Pattamali Iyer and directed him to build the temple for her where he would find her sword. The next day, the Pattali family along with village elders, searched the villages of Kavesseri and found the sword. The temple that stands majestic today was built where they found the sword. When the land reform law came, this administration ended, and was taken over by the Government of Kerala and put under the administration of Devasom board. Now the temple is been administered by the trustees and managers under the governance of Devasom board. In the olden days, the temple has almost 1000 acres (4 km²) of paddy field. When the land law implemented, all the paddy field is been lost to the common people. Now the daily activities is been carried on with the annuity amount received from the government of kerala, Devotees deposits, donation and Vazhipadu.Some Myths About This Temple
Myth 1The almighty, Pallikkadi, parakkadi, kunnaikadi, and kodikkady named 4 goddesses together started from a place called Thiruvadi. The myth goes like, after a long journey, the goddess Pallikkadi has settled down in a place called, Paruvassery in Kannabra, the goddess Kunnakkadi settled down in Thennilapuram, the goddess Kodikkadi has settled down in vadakkancheri. But the Goddess Parakkady, after resting in Chakyar kodoth, in kavassery, proceeded to a place where PARAYA community people have lived. Its been believed that the goddess Parakkady has went in to a home in that place, and told the people that, the goddess want to settle down there and the people should conduct poojas and festivals there. But the poor people replied to the goddess that, they were very poor people and they are not financially sound to conduct poojas and festivals. Its said that, by hearing that, The goddess gave a “Kuzhal” (a musical instrument like trumpet) and few other musical instruments and asked them to think of the goddess and go, there by they will be able to get all the things what they required to conduct poojas and festivals. Then the goddess left the place after seeing the in-hygiene surroundings and settled down in the place where the existing temple situates.
Myth 2
Its been believed that, one day, when the Goddess was walking in the dense forest, one Manthravadi was coming along the way who was going for fishing. With the powerful RAKSHA which the manthravadi was wearing, he was able to concur the goddess and asked her to carry the fish carrier (kooda) and walk with him. That manthravadi was believed to be Chathu ammaman of Kulangara house. One day, when the manthravadi was on his way to fishing, and lost his powerful raksha, Devi shown him the real power of her and killed Chathu ammaman, and cut in to 18.5 pieces and thrown in to different places. Those places has been asked to raise the flag post before 7 days of mamangam which is been held in that place. The goddess also ordered that, in response to the activity of chathu ammaman, the ladies of Kulangara family should carry the goddess’s vigraham, and should come to all the 18.5 flag posts. That’s called “OORVALAM”. That activity has become the right of Kulangara family. There are many such myths regarding this temple, but the main fact is that, the Goddess is so powerful and her blessings have always brought the disciples all the goodness and the good things they have asked for.
Nearby places
AlathurAlathur
Alathur is a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. It is the headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated at the south west end of the district 24 km from the district headquarters at Palakkad. Alathur Taluk is predominantly rural and has an agricultural economy...
is around 4 km away from Kavasseri. Alathur lies on NH 47 highway connecting Palghat and Thrissur. Alathur houses some colleges which serves as a source for nearby villages.
Padur
Padur
Padur is a village in Palakkad District, Kerala. There is a temple of Sree Panickanar where an yearly festival called Padur Vela is celebrated, which is the curtain raiser for Vela-Poorams in Palakkad. Padur is called as "The land of Palakkad King"- About Padur :Padur is a village in Palakkad...
is around 5 km from Kavasseri. The famous festival of Padur is Padur Vela.
Athipotta
Athipotta
Athipotta is a small village near Alathur in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It's about 30 km from Palakkad town and 10 km from Alathur...
, 4 km away from Kavasseri is famous for Mangottu Kavu Temple.
Pazhayannur
Pazhayannur
Pazhayannur is a village in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Pazhayannur had a population of 15979 with 7680 males and 8299 females. the history says that, major part of Pazhayannur was under pattar , an upper class people , those who came here from...
is famous for the Bhagavathy Temple and Shiva Temple. It is about 13 km from Kavasseri.
Thiruvilwamala
Thiruvilwamala
Thiruvilwamala, also spelt Thiruvilluamala, is a hilly village in the northern terrain of Thrissur district of Kerala state in southern India.The village, which is more of a temple town, is located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river, with nearest towns being Shoranur and Ottappalam. The place...
, also spelt as Thiruvilluamala is famous for Vilwadrinatha Temple
Vilwadrinatha Temple
Lord Vilwadrinatha Temple situated in Thiruvilwamala is one of the ancient temples in India. The temple attracts pilgrims from all over India, every year especially during the Ekadasi Festival around February. The temple is situated in a hill from which one can obtain a fantastic view of adjoining...
, which is among the rare Sri Rama temples in Kerala. Thiruviwamala has many other temples of ancient years and have more than four Shiva temples. Ivor Madom, the Krishna temple, is famous for the ceremonies performed in order to ensure peace for the soul of the dead.
Kunissery
Kunissery
Kunissery is a small village in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, South India. It is 7 km east of Alathur. Kunissery's famous festival is Kummatti which is celebrated on the birthday of the local goddess Pookulathi on the Punartham Star of Meenam.- Kummati Festival :The Kummati festival...
is around 11 km from Kavasseri. Kunisseri is known outside for its famous Kummatti festival celebrated in Pookulangara Bhagawathi temple during March/April. The Kummatti is performed in front of the procession of 10 tuskers.
Another attraction of Kummatti is a folk art called Ponnani Kali.
Chitoor is around 20 km from Kavasseri and close to palakkad. Chitoor is the home for a beautiful bhagavathy temple and shiva temple.
Kuzhalmannam is about 20 km from Kavasseri. Every Saturday, at the weekly market at Kuzhalmannam, cattle are traded in large numbers. Cattle are brought from Tamil Nadu to be sold to Trissur district and beyond. The southern districts of Kerala are major consumers of beef. The sight of cattle bundled into trucks without any consideration for their safety or comfort is really distressing, but there has been no action from any animal rights group or SPCA so far.
Pallassena
Pallassena
Pallassena or Pallassana is a village in the Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India, close to Kollengode and Koduvayur. It is beside the river Gayatri, one of the tributaries of Bharatapuza...
about 30 km from Kavasseri houses the famous Meenkulathi Bhagavathy Temple. The route map to Pallassena is Kavasseri->Alathur->PuthuNagaram->Pallassena. Pallassena is close to kollengode and koduvayur. People from districts of Coimbatore, Pollachi and nearby places in Tamil Nadu throngs the temple.
Vazhenkada
Vazhenkada
Vazhenkada is a village, known for its Kathakali heritage, on the banks of the river Thootha in Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India...
is around 50 km from Kavasseri. The route map for reaching Vazhenkada is Kavasseri->Thiruvilvamala->Ottapalam->
Cherupalassery->Thootha->Vazhenkada.Vazhenkada has a picturesque temple for SRI NARASIMHAMOORTHY.
Nelliampathi
Nelliampathi
Nelliampathi is a popular hill station 60 km away from Palakkad in Kerala, a small state in south India. It is surrounded by tea and coffee plantations and has excellent weather conditions. The journey to Nelliampathi itself is an experience. The only route is from Nemmara, from where the...
is around 40 km from Kavasseri. Nelliampathi also known as Poor's people Ooty is beautiful and gorgeous. The trek route from Kaikatty(first town of nelliampathi) to Manpara hill is awe-inspiring. The route map for reaching Nelliampathi is Kavasseri->Vadakkanchery->Nemmara->Nelliampathi.
Pothundi Dam
Pothundi Dam
Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam near a small village in Palakkad district of Kerala state, India. It was constructed in the 19th century. The dam is unusual in being constructed without a conventional concrete core, which is employed in most earth dams to counteract the force exerted by high...
is about 23 km from Kavasseri. Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam constructed in the 19th century. Nelliampathi hills can be seen from Pothundi Dam.
Mayilaadumpara about 10 km from Kavasseri is the home of Choolanur Peacock Sanctuary. Sprawling over 500 hectares of thick forest, this sanctuary is a home to around 200 peacocks.The Sanctuary offers shelter to diverse and rich species of birds. There are over 100 diverse species of avifauna in the Sanctuary. The route map is Kavasseri->Kazhini Chungam-> Athipotta -> A board after athipotta indicates a right turn into Mayilaadumpara. You can contact the forest officials there to make a trek into the forests.
Nearest Railway Junction is Palakkad Railway Station.
The nearest international airport is Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport is a customs airport located at Peelamedu, Coimbatore. It was previously known as Coimbatore Civil Aerodrome. It is about from the city center. It is located along Peelamedu and Neelambur, with passenger entry at Neelambur and cargo entry at Peelamedu...
, which is about 52 km from Palakkad and about 85 km from Kavassery. Coimbatore airport has connecting flights to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Sharjah
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, apart from major Indian cities
Status of Indian cities
The Status of Indian cities comprises two ranking systems used by the Government of India to allocate compensatory allowances to the cities in the country...
.