Pisharikavu Temple is a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

located at Kollam, Koyilandy,

Kozhikode district Kozhikode (), or Calicut district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its Southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 67.15% urbanised. ...

North Malabar North Malabar refers to the geographic area of southwest India covering the state of Kerala's present day Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad districts, and the taluks of Vatakara, Koyilandy, and Thamarassery in the Kozhikode District of Keral ...

region of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

state of south

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

.http://pisharikavukollam.in/

Myth about the temple

Centuries before remaining members of the " Ettuveettil" family after the conspiracy against

Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).Subrahman ...

settled down in the village named Kollam near present-day Koyilandy in

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second ...

district. They were rich diamond merchants. One of family member prayed and did tapas to please goddess Badhra Kali. One night the goddess Sri Porkali (the family goddess of Ettuveettil pilla's) appeared in his dream and gave him a very special sword named "Nandhakam" and told him to pray her in the form of this sword and she will answer all his prayers and also asked him to go to his home town. He went back to his hometown and built a temple and started worshiping the Nandakkam sword. The family by the grace of mother Badhra Kali became very rich and powerful. They paid Samoothiri-King of Kozhikode and brought a land there and settled down there with their family and built a beautiful temple here and worshiped the Nandakkam sword, it is believed that 8 families have migrated from the south, namely Kiziyil, Vazhayil, Elayedathu, Echarathil, Punathil, Nanothu, Mundakkal, Erothu. Native people called them "vyapari"(merchants) at that time. Later name changed to "Ravari" in colloquial language. The community is existing even now and they have special rights for conducting a festival called "Kaliyattam".

Main festivals of Pisharikavu

The annual festival of Sri Pisharikavu Temple is celebrated in the Malayala month of "Meenam". The festival is celebrated with pomp for 8 days. The 7th day is celebrated as "Valiya Vilaku", and the 8th day is celebrated as "Kaliyattom", on which the divine Nandhakam sword is brought in procession around the temple on 7th and 8th day on a fully decorated female

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

, and traditional art form of Kerala is also staged in the temple. The Navarathri is also celebrated in a big way in the temple..

Divine sword Nandhakam

The sword was given to the devotee who did very strong austerity and prayed to Porkali Devi. The pleased Porkali Devi blessed the devotee of Vaishya community, saying that she will fulfill all wishes of him prayed with pure devotion. After so many centuries later also the Nandhakam sword stays as a divine representation of Pisharikavu Devi to all devotees who take refuge to the mother Pisharikavyilamma. The divine words of Sri Pisharikavilamma is that "Believe I am there with you where were you are irrespective of anyplace you are...proves that the divine mother would rescue her devotee if they believe and pray with full heart devotion anywhere they are."

References

{{reflist Hindu temples in Kozhikode district

Myth about the temple

Main festivals of Pisharikavu

Divine sword Nandhakam

See also

References