Kunnathoor Padi

Kunnathur Padi is the "Aaroodam" of Sree Muthappan. It is in the Kannur District of Kerala state, South India. It is 3,000 feet above sea level, atop Udumbamala of the Sahyadri mountains.

The famous Kunnathur Padi festival is conducted here, but there is no temple for Sree Muthappan. The festival is conducted in a natural setting, because Sree Muthappan frequently reminds that "fallen leaves, a spring, a large mountain, a round stone, forest and palm trees are enough, for me".

Kunnathur Padi festival

There is an open place and a cave amid the forest. During the festival season, a temporary madappura is erected here. This is called Sreekovil. On the west side of this madappura, there is a stone, a rock stand and a mud platform. On each side of the cave, there is a palm tree. On the north side is a spring called Thiruvankadavu. Beyond that is Aadipadi.

Thanthries do the purifying rituals (Sudhi, pasudanam, punyaham, Ganapati homam and Bhagavathiseva] . Malayirakkal (invoking) of Sri Muthappan is done from Puralimala. In all other madappuras, this is done from Kunnathurpadi.

Thiruvappana and Vellattam do not appear simultaneously in the padi as in many other Sree Muthappan centres.

The festival at Padi lasts from the month of Dhanu 2 to Makaram 2 (mid-December to mid-January).

How Kunnathur Padi became Aaroodam for Sree Muthappan

cquote|The "Naduvazhi" (landlord) "Ayyankara Illath Vazhunnavar" was unhappy as he had no child. His wife "Padikutty Antharjanam" was a devoted of Lord Shiva. She offered several things as sacrifice to the God Shiva. One day, in her dream, she saw the Lord. The very next day, while she was returning after a bath from a nearby river, she saw a pretty child lying in a flower bed. She took the child home and brought him up as her own son.

The boy used to visit the jungle near by the Mana (the house where Brahmans live) for hunting with his bow and arrows. He would take food with the poor and with the backward communities. These acts were against the Namboothiri (another term for Brahman) way of life, so his father and mother earnestly requested him to stop this practicing. But the boy turned a deaf ear to their warnings. Due to the unfavorable actions of his son, with shattered hopes, Ayyankara Vazhunavar became very disappointed.

One day, as if knowing everything, the boy went in front of his parents and to their surprise appeared a divine form ("visvaroopam") with bow and arrow, and with fire sparkling eyes. The parents understood that the boy was not an ordinary child, but a God. They prostrated at the God's feet and 'He' blessed them.

cquote|The God started journey from "Ayyankara". The natural beauty of the Kunnathoor stopped him from his journey. He was attracted by the toddy of palm trees.

Chandhan (name of a toddy tapper who was illiterate and uncivilized} knew of his toddy being stolen from his palm trees every day. So he taught of guarding his palm trees. While he was keeping guard at night, an old man was found stealing toddy from his palms. He got very angry and tried to shoot the old man using his bow and arrow. While he was about to aim an arrow at him, he fell unconscious.

Chandhan's wife, who came there seeking for her husband, saw him lying unconscious. She cried broken heartedly. When she looked up, she saw an old man at the top of the palm tree, and called "MUTHAPPA" (as if addressed to a grandfather; Muthappan means grandfather in the Malayalam language). She earnestly prayed to God to save her husband. Before long, Chandhan regained consciousness.

She offered boiled grams, slices of coconut, burnt fish and toddy to the Muthappan (even today, in Sree Muthappan temples, the devotees are offered boiled grams and slices of coconut). She sought benediction from him. Muthappan choose Kunnathoor as his residence at the request of Chandhan; this is the famous Kunnathoor Padi.

After spending some years at Kunnathoor, Sree Muthappan decided to get a more favorable place as his residence so that he could fulfill his aim of reincarnation. He shot an arrow upward from Kunnathoor. The shaft reached Parassini, where the famous Parassini Temple resides now. The arrow, which was glowing from the "Theertha" (sacred water ) near the temple, was received with devotion and placed on the altar of the temple. Since then, Lord Muthappan is considered as residing at Parassinikkadavu.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

'Keralathile Nadankalakal' Nandakumar Koroth

ee also

*Parassinikkadavu
*Muthappan temple
*Sree Muthappan
*Rajarajeshwara Temple