Perumthachan (പെരുന്തച്ചന്), also spelled as "Perunthchan", meaning the master carpenter or the master craftsman, is an honorific title that is used to refer to an ancient legendary carpenter, architect, woodcarver and sculptor (stone/wood) from Kerala, India. However Perumthachan is an important figure in the folklore of Kerala and many a wondrous structure and architecture that still stand are attributed to him.
The Vadakkumnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Thrissur, in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. The temple is a classical example of the architectural style of Kerala and has one monumental tower on each of the four sides in addition to a koothambalam. Mural paintings depicting various scenes from the Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple. The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under the AMASR Act. According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Thekkinkadu Maidan, encircling the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is the main venue of the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival.
The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race is one of the oldest vallam kali in Kerala state of south India. The race is held on the River Pamba on Moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple.
Thayambaka or tayambaka is a type of solo chenda performance that developed in the south Indian state of Kerala, in which the main player at the centre improvises rhythmically on the beats of half-a-dozen or a few more chenda and ilathalam players around.
Kollur Mookambika Temple is located at Kollur in Byndoor Taluk of Udupi District in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Mookambika.
Thrithala is a town and a village in Pattambi taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The town is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.
Kottarathil Sankunni was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Best known as the author of Aithihyamala, an eight-volume compilation of century-old legends about Kerala, Sankunni's writings cover prose and poetry, including verses for Kathakali and Ottan Thullal. He was one of the founding members of Bhashaposhini Sabha founded by Kandathil Varghese Mappillai and was also involved with Bharata Vilasam Sabha, another literary initiative. He died on July 22, 1937.
The Panachikkadu Temple or Panachikkad Saraswathi Temple, also known as the Dakshina Mookambika Saraswathy Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Saraswati. The temple is located in the southern region of the Indian Peninsula, in Panachikkad in Kottayam District, Kerala, India. It is one of the most prominent Saraswati temples for devotees in Kerala. But, the main deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu, who was installed long before Goddess Saraswati. Still the temple is known as Saraswati temple, due to the popularity of the Goddess. There are sub-shrines for Lord Shiva, Lord Ganapathi, Lord Ayyappan, Snake deities and Panachikkattu Yakshi inside the temple.
Parayi Petta Panthirukulam, is a popular folktale in Kerala. According to this folktale, Vararuchi, one of the nine wise men of Emperor Vikramaditya’s court married Panchami, a girl belonging to Paraya, a lower caste. The couple set out on a long pilgrimage. On the way, they had 12 children. Upon each delivery, Vararuchi enquired whether the baby had a mouth. If the wife said "yes", he would say, "God will appease the one with mouth" and would ask the wife to abandon the baby then and there and proceed. Eleven children were deserted, since they had a mouth. The tale goes that after the 12th birth, when Vararuchi asked whether the child had a mouth, the wife said he didn't have a mouth in the hope that she may get to raise at least that child. But when she looked at the child after saying that, the child indeed was seen to have been born without a mouth. Vararuchi consecrated the 12th child as a deity on top of a hill, and they proceeded on the pilgrimage.
Chethallur is a village located in the Palakkad District of Kerala, India. The population of the village is around 5,000 people. The village gained media attention with the construction of the Muriyankanni Bridge, which may reduce the driving distance between Kozhikode and Palakkad by around 10 km or 6.21 miles.
Sri Vasudevapuram Temple is one of three ancient temples (Maha-Kshetram) on the Southern bank of holy river Bharathapuzha. It sits east of the other two, Maha-Shiva Temple and Brahma temple. These temples along with the famous Thirunavaya Maha-Vishnu temple across the river form the trilogy in Sanatana Dharma). Tavanur is called Muvaankara (മൂവ്വാങ്കര). Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the presiding deities, so it was initially known as Muvalankara, and then Muvaankara. Vasudevapuram Tavanur is situated in the middle of a wooded area resembling that of Sabarimala.
Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is an Indian Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna at Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district of Kerala. The temple is believed to have been built during 15th century CE by the local ruler Chembakasserry Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran. It is one of the seven greatest temples in Travancore. It is considered one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition.
Mezhathur is an Indian village in the state of Kerala situated at Pattambi taluk of Palakkad district at the border of Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad districts. It is a historical and cultural village in Kerala. It is also the native place of renowned writer and social reformer V. T. Bhattathiripad.
Vararuci is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is the author of Vārtikās which is an elaboration of certain sūtrās in Pāṇini's much revered treatise on Sanskrit grammar titled Aṣṭādhyāyī. Kātyāyana is believed to have flourished in the 3rd century BCE. However, this identification of Vararuci with Kātyāyana has not been fully accepted by scholars. Vararuci is believed to be the author of Prākrita Prakāśa, the oldest treatise on the grammar of Prākrit language. Vararuci's name appears in a verse listing the 'nine gems' (navaratnas) in the court of one Vikramaditya. Vararuci appears as a prominent character in Kathasaritsagara, a famous 11th century collection of Indian legends, fairy tales and folk tales as retold by Somadeva.
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 offspring or the Parayi petta panthirukulam. Just a shout away from Mezhathol Agnihothri's home Vemancheri Mana in Thrithala, is the Paakkanar colony otherwise known as Eerattinkal Paraya colony adjoining Arikkunnu mentioned earlier. In the traditional caste hierarchy in Kerala, the Paraya caste was considered a lower caste. Families of Paakkanaar lineage live in this colony in 18 houses. The story goes that it was Paakkanar who actually made a "Thampraakkal" out of "Azhvanchery Thamprakkal", who is considered as the head of the Namboothiris of the region.
Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala is a collection of century-old stories from Kerala that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over a hundred, about magicians and yakshis, feudal rulers and conceited poets, kalari or Kalaripayattu experts, practitioners of Ayurveda and courtiers; elephants and their mahouts, tantric experts.
Manakkattu Devi Temple is a temple in Kerala. The temple is located at Pallippad in Karthikappalli taluk of Alappuzha district in the south Indian state Kerala. It is situated about 4 km east of Harippad on Nangiarkulangara Mavelikkara road. It comes under four NSS Karayogams
This is a list of ancient Buddhist sites, relics, traditions and places from the Indian state of Kerala. Even though Kerala does not have any major presence of Buddhists in modern times, many historians recognize a Buddhist heritage that seem to have existed until the 10th century CE along with a widespread Sramana tradition of co-existence between Buddhism, Jainism and ancient Dravidian folk religion.
Parumala Valiya Panayannarkavu Devi Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Sri Badrakali and Lord Shiva, situated on the banks of the Pampa river at Parumala of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala state in India. The Panaynararkavu Temple is one of the three most important Bhadrakali temples in Kerala. Thirumandhamkunnu Temple in Malabar, Kodungallur Temple in Cochin and Panayannarkavu Temple in Travancore is almost equally important. References to this temple are found in Aithihyamala of Kottarathil Sankunni and Unnuneeli Sandesam, the classics of Malayalam Literature. According to folklore, sage Parashurama has installed the idol of Lord Shiva and devi idol installed by sage Durvasa and Narada in the Treta Yuga. The temple is a part of the 108 famous Shiva temples in Kerala.
Trithala Maha Siva Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river at Thrithala of Palakkad District in Kerala state in India. References to this temple are found in Aithihyamala of Kottarathil Sankunni and many classics of Malayalam Literature. The place where the idol is worshiped in the temple resembles the addition of sand. Legend has it that the Shiva Linga was made by Agnihotri by using the sand from Bharathapuzha river. Anointing is not performed because it is a Shivling of sand. The Shivalinga sits slightly oblique, as the mother of Agnihotri held on to the force, there was a slight tilt. The temple is a part of the 108 famous Shiva temples in Kerala. According to historians, the Trithala Siva Temple, built in the 9th or 10th century, marks the transition from Chola to Pandya style architecture.
