Thrithala
Encyclopedia
Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District
of Kerala
state, South India
. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva
temple
.
' is centred around Trithala. According to this story, a Brahmin named Vararuchi, married a lower caste woman without knowing her true identity. After the marriage, they set out on a long journey. During the course of the journey, the woman became pregnant several times, and every time she delivered a baby, the husband asked her to leave it there itself. Each of the babies was taken up by people of different castes (totally 12), thus they grew up in that caste, making the legendary 'Panthirukulam'. They all became famous in their lives and many tales are attributed to them. The eldest was Agnihothri, a Brahmin, whose place is Mezhathur
in Trithala. The others are Pakkanar
(basket weaver), Perumthachan (Master carpenter), Naranathu Bhranthan (an eccentric but divine person), Vayillakunnilappan (a child without mouth, whom the mother wanted to keep with her) and so on. Their stories are mentioned in the well known book 'Eithihyamala' by Kottarathil Sankunni.
The Siva temple, probably built during the 9th and 10th century, marks the transition from the Chola to the Pandya style of architecture
. According to a legend, the child Agnihotri was bathing in the river along with his mother. He heaped the sand in the form of a mound on a plate ('thalam' in Malayalam). When the mother tried to remove the sand, she found that it has solidified in the form of a 'Siva Lingam'. Thus the deity is known as 'Thalathilappan', meaning God in a plate. The idol is said to have the constitution of sand. It is believed that the sharp bend in the river in the area was formed due to the river changing its course on its own, to give space for the temple to be built.
Thrithala is also the native place of renowned writer and social reformer, V. T. Bhattathiripad
.
During the Indian Independence Movement, Thrithala hosted one of the revolutionary leaders of the Praja Socialist Party, Dr. K.B.Menon, who believed in armed struggle against the British as opposed to the Satyagraha model of Mahatma Gandhi. Along with Dr. P.T.Gopalan Nayar, a noted doctor in the area, he worked extensively in the area, including setting up the first high school and the Primary Health Centre.
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...
. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
.
Legends
The legend of 'Parayi petta panthirukulamParayi petta panthirukulam
Parayi Petta Panthirukulam, is a Malayalam language phase which translates as "twelve kulams born of a Pariah Woman". This phrase is a well recognized as the title of an important legend of ancient Kerala, a southern state in India. The 'Kulams' refer to vocation based hierarchical ethnic groups...
' is centred around Trithala. According to this story, a Brahmin named Vararuchi, married a lower caste woman without knowing her true identity. After the marriage, they set out on a long journey. During the course of the journey, the woman became pregnant several times, and every time she delivered a baby, the husband asked her to leave it there itself. Each of the babies was taken up by people of different castes (totally 12), thus they grew up in that caste, making the legendary 'Panthirukulam'. They all became famous in their lives and many tales are attributed to them. The eldest was Agnihothri, a Brahmin, whose place is Mezhathur
Mezhathur
Mezhathur is an Indian village in the state of Kerala situated at the border of Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad districts. It is a historical and cultural village in Kerala . Known for traditional Ayurveda Physicians like Chatharu Nair and Vaidyamadom Valiya Narayanan Namboodiri. Also the native...
in Trithala. The others are Pakkanar
Pakkanar
Pakkanar is a character in Malayalam Folklore. Pakkanar was born as the son of Vararuchi, the famous astrologer who adorned the court of King Vikramaditya. Pakkanar was second among the twelve offsprings or the Parayi petta panthirukulam...
(basket weaver), Perumthachan (Master carpenter), Naranathu Bhranthan (an eccentric but divine person), Vayillakunnilappan (a child without mouth, whom the mother wanted to keep with her) and so on. Their stories are mentioned in the well known book 'Eithihyamala' by Kottarathil Sankunni.
The Siva temple, probably built during the 9th and 10th century, marks the transition from the Chola to the Pandya style of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. According to a legend, the child Agnihotri was bathing in the river along with his mother. He heaped the sand in the form of a mound on a plate ('thalam' in Malayalam). When the mother tried to remove the sand, she found that it has solidified in the form of a 'Siva Lingam'. Thus the deity is known as 'Thalathilappan', meaning God in a plate. The idol is said to have the constitution of sand. It is believed that the sharp bend in the river in the area was formed due to the river changing its course on its own, to give space for the temple to be built.
Residents
The population consists of mainly Muslims and Hindus. A large number of people are employed in the Arab countries, who have made the area prosperous by their remittances from abroad.Thrithala is also the native place of renowned writer and social reformer, V. T. Bhattathiripad
V. T. Bhattathiripad
V. T. Bhattathiripad, was an Indian social critic, well-known dramatist and a prominent freedom fighter.Bhattathiripad was born to Nambudiri brahmin parents in kaippilly mana at kidangoor,a village near angamaly, Kerala state...
.
Politics
Major political parties are the Indian National Congress (INC), the Communist Party of India - Marxist( CPM), the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Barathiya Janatha Party (BJP).During the Indian Independence Movement, Thrithala hosted one of the revolutionary leaders of the Praja Socialist Party, Dr. K.B.Menon, who believed in armed struggle against the British as opposed to the Satyagraha model of Mahatma Gandhi. Along with Dr. P.T.Gopalan Nayar, a noted doctor in the area, he worked extensively in the area, including setting up the first high school and the Primary Health Centre.
Educational institutions
- Dr K B Menon Memmorial High School (formerly Trithala High School)
- Mar Courlous Memorial Upper Primary (MCMUP) School
- Trithala English Medium School (TEMS)
- Islamic Educational Society (IES) School
- Government Mappila Lower Primary (GMLP) School
- GHSS Kumaranellur
- Gokhale Govt High School Kumaranellur