Vayilyamkunnu Bhagavathi Temple
Vayillyam Kunnu Bhagavathi Temple is located at Katampazhipuram, Kerala, 24 km (15 mi) away from Palakkad on the way to Cherpulassery. The temple is dedicated to Thirumanthamkunnu Bhagavathy ( similar to one at Angadipuram and Kongad). The spectacular annual festival - Vayillyamkunnu Pooram festival- of this temple is celebrated during the Malayalam month of "Kumbham" (Feb 15-March 15) with much gaiety and splendour.
Legend
Legend behind the birth of this temple points to the era way back to 13th century which says about the asylum of a vaisya minister named Sankara Nayanar and his men of a local kingdom from the bank of river Kaveri of then Cholamandalam to the king of Calicut (Kozhikkode)- which was caused from the dispute arose from the decision of the local king to marry the clever daughter of that minister who had found out a solution for a challenging problem which was haunting the king for days together (refer Guptan). Minister along with people of four gramams reached Calicut and impressed by their intelligence and straight forwardness, Zamorin, King of Calicut, gave them permission to build 'nagarams' in Valluvanad area and sent pathinaayirathil nair – The chieftain who can arrange ten thousand warriors on demand by zamorin – along with them, for arranging the places and support.[1] Thus, the people belong to "Adithyapuram" gramam in the group has selected the place "vayillyamkunnu" for their livelyhood and developed "vayillyamkunnu" nagaram. They have built a temple at the hill top for their "Paradevatha-Bhagavathy". That is today's Vayillyamkunnu Bhagavathy Temple.
The name of the place vayillyamkunnu is related to "Vayillyam kunnil appan" of the 'parayi petta panthirukulam'.[2] Vayillyamkunnilappan Siva temple is located at down hill near to the Vayillyamkunnu Bhagavathy temple. Power of goddess vayillamkunnu Bhagavathy is very famous. As per legend, it is believed that bhoothagana of bhagavathy had levelled the entire area of the desam surrounding the hill in a single night to make it livable for her devotees.
Administration
Vayillyam kunnu devaswom is administered by Temple Trustee board consisting of six traditional trustees (ooralans) belong to five Guptan ancestral families and one Tharakan family. Vayillyamkunnu Bhagavathy Temple along with Vayillyamkunnilappan Siva temple and mele thrikkovil temples collectively come under vayillyamkunnu Devaswom and it is part of Malabar Devaswom borad.
Festival
Annual Pooram festival is the major temple festival and it falls in the pooram star of malayalam month, Kumbham(Feb-Mar). Pooram is famous for the presence of Kerala's main elephants -around thirty- and renowned Panchavadyam troops in its four desam velas.