Malamakkavu Ayyappan temple

Malamakkavu Ayyappan temple

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

     This Ayyappan temple  is called as Mala mel Kavu  or Malayil Kavu  in the Anakkara  Panchayath in Palakkad district  . Though the name indicates that  it is on the mountain, it is only situated  in the plains.One of the specialties  of the temple  is that a  rare flower called CHenkazhuneer poovu is   found in the temple tank.

It is believed  that  that hundreds of years   earlier one low caste woman  went to the  forest  around  here for grazing cattle  When she was sharpening her knife  on a rock  , it started  bleeding .They immediately the nearby village , who  through Prasnam found that  rock was  lord Ayyappa.. They immediately built a sanctum and sanctified that rock  as Lord Ayyappa.This happened about 300  years  ago.Along with the Ayyappan temple  there are also idols oh Goddess BHagawathi and Lord Shiva in the temple . There are also  Rudiramaha Kali, Vettakorumugan   and Nagas consecrated in the temple  .It has been recognized as one of the 108 temples of Dharma Sastha  in Kerala and it is managed by a the Padinjarepat nambiar family . ADa is the main offering at the temple .The Ayyappan idol  faces  the east .The main festival of the temple is a THalappoli   celebrated  on the last   Saturday of the month of Dhanu .The pond of the temple is situated in the temple  premises itself. It is believed that  if a devotee offers a Chenkazhuneer flower  at the feet  of Dharma Sastha with great devotion  , a blue lotus(Neela Thamara)  would bloom in the  next day   in the temple pond.A film based on this legend called “Neelathamara”  has been produced in Malayalam.This temple can be reached from Guruvayur within an hour by driving.,