Thirumanthamkunnu Temple

Thirumandhamkunnu Temple is one among the earliest and prominent Mahakshethras of Kerala. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy, this shrine is located at Angadippuram in Perinthalmanna, which is located in Malappuram district of Kerala. The temple is positioned on the top of a small hill and boasts of divine and magnificent exteriors. The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. It is assumed that the three holy figures Parvathy, Parameswaran and Durga always exist in the Shiva Lingam of the temple. Sree Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy Devaswam takes care of every activities of this temple. Various Poojas are performed in the premises of the temple that please the solitude of the devotees.

A six feet sculpture of a Rurujit, a Devi who conquered Ruru and Asura, built with wooden in a sitting posture, ornamented with sparkling jewelries is also worshipped here. Other than this, idols of the Kshetrapala and Sreemoolasthanam, Nagas, Bala Ganpathi, and Brahmarakshas have also been established in the temple.

Establishment
There is an interesting story behind the establishment of Thirumandhamkunnu Temple. As per the legend, King Mandhatha of Surya dynasty delights Lord Shiva by worshiping him wholeheartedly. Impressed with his devotion, Lord Shiva gives him the most holy Siva Lingam, which was regularly worshipped by Parvathy at Kailash. Mandhatha carries the lingam to a hill now known as Thirumanthamkunnu and puts on the ground. The idol gets stuck there.

Meanwhile, when Parvathy doesn’t find her favorite lingam in place, she enquires her husband Lord Shiva about the same, who narrates everything to her. She says that she wants to get it back and moves towards the Thirumandham Hill with the soldiers of Bhootas. Being armless, Mandhatha fights with Attanga nuts that instantly get converted into arrows due to the power of Lord Shiva. The battle lasts for 15 days. Ultimately, Mahamaya takes her Vishwaroopa and says that she doesn’t want to possess her favorite Lingam against the wish of Shiva. As a result, she and Kali decide to stay here with lingam.

Key Features
Beautifully structured Thirumanthamkunnu Temple is a fine example of the rich art of that era. It has an established Shiva Lingam that is considered to possess all the divine powers. It also features a beautifully ornamented huge idol of Devi having eight hands, with weapons in each. Painting placed on the walls of the mathrusala depicts the legend behind the establishment of the temple.

The temple celebrates various festivals, when a huge number of devotees participate. These festivals are Araattu, Mangalya Puja, Rigveda Laksharchana, Chandattam, Valiyakandam Nadeel, Attanga Eru, Njaralathu Sangeetholsavam, Prasadam Ottu, and Pooram and Kalampattu. All of these festivals attract a huge congregation.

How to Reach:

By Air
The nearest airport to the temple is Kozhikode Airport, which is 50 km away from Angadipuram.

By Rail
Angadipuram is a major railway station on the Nilambur - Shoranur Railway Line that connects the temple with Indian railway. 6 pairs of trains pass through this railway station.

By Road:
Angadipuram is located 1.5 km away from Perinthalmanna Taluk headquarters at Chennai-Calicut road. It is connected with national highway (NH-213) from Palghat (Palakkad) to Calicut (Kozhikode) via Perinthalmanna.