108 Sasthalayangal

From ancient times, Lord Sastha has been worshipped in Kerala. When Kerala was created by Parasurama, he wanted the supreme divine force to protect his land. He did penance on Lord Sastha; the Lord appeared 

"rakshitwam kEraLam rAjyam bArgavEna mahAtmana: 

prArtitOham vasishyAmi tatArtham kEraLE drudham" 

- Lord Sastha promised him to stay in the land of God's own country and instructed Parasurama to build as many temples, so that He can stay there.  

Thus Parasurama brought Sastha for the protection of the land and the people.and hence the presence of numerous temples dedicated to Sastha.

Certain places with dense growth of trees are considered sacred, and are the domiciles of the Lord. Those places where Sastha in various forms like Dharma Sastha, Bala Sastha,Vettakkorumakan etc. are called as Kaavu. Legends like Ayyappan Theeyattu and Keralotpatti says that Parasurama has constructed 108 Sasthakaavus.

After a search for many many years... I got the list of these temples few day back... Need to check with the text backup and the details regarding each temple... 

But Iam presenting the list here

May the ever compassionate Lord shower His blessings on us to serve Him more and more

Swamy Sharanam ! 

1. Thrikkunnapuzha Dharmasasthavu
2. Thiruvullakkavu sasthavu
3. Aryankavu dharmasasthavu
4. Chambrakulangara ayyappan
5. Chamravattam sasthavu
6. Achan kovil darmasasthavu
7. Kulathupuzha sasthav
8. Kolakkottiri ayyappankavu
9. Sabarimala sreedharma sasthavu
10. Kizhakedesam sasthavu
11. Meenachil sasthavu
12. Arakkulam dharmasasthavu
13. Mattil sasthavu
14. Cheruthazhathukavu sasthavu
15. Kalleli sasthav
16. Nandikeswarankavu sastha
17. Thakazhi dhramasasthavu
18. Chakkamkulangara dharmasasthavu
19. Aarattupuzha sasthavu
20. Manaloor ayyappan kavu
21. Manakodi sasthavu
22. Edathra sasthavu
23. Edathuruthi ayyappan kavu
24. Kanyakulangara dharmasasthavu
25. Nettissery sasthavu
26. Mulankunnathu kavu darma sasthavu
27. Udalakkavu sasthavu
28. Kodumpu ayyappa
29. Manakkadu dharmasasthavu
30. Thykkadu sasthavu
31. Akamala sreedharma sasthavu
32. Thottakkare molukurussy ayyappankavu
33. Ayyankuzhikkavu sasthavu
34. Kollankodu Pulikkodu ayyappan
35. Cherpulasery ayyappan kavu
36. Poonjal darmasasthavu
37. Punchapadam pulinkkavu ayyappa
38. Theeyadikkavu
39. Nagalassery ayyappankavu
40. Mundamuka ayyappan
41. Thichur sasthavu
42. Malamakkavu ayyappan
43. Nangulam sasthavu
44. Neriyamangalam sasthavu
45. Aanaparambu daramasasthavu
46. Thayankavu sasthavu
47. Perungottukavu sasthavu
48. Kothakulangara sasthavu
49. Mangalam ayyappan kavu
50. Chemeli dharmasasthavu
51. Pottankkavu
52. Thiruvarchanamkunnu
53. Malamakkavu ayyappan
54. Thrikkalathur sreeraman
55. Vayaskkara dharmasasthavu
56. Narayanamangalam ayyappankavu
57. Sakthikulankara sasthavu
58. Ayyappanpara sasthavu
59. Manalithara mullapallikavu
60. Kuttoor sasthav
61. Pattikkadu dharmasastha
62. Markkadakkavu sastha
63. Koodapuzha marathopalli sasthav
64. Neervilagam dharmasastha
65. Kaattuvalli dharmasastha
66. Karukuttikkavu
67. Kozhikkal kandan sasthavu
68. Ezhinjillam sasthavu
69. Kannanallur sasthavu
70. Kutiyothu temple
71. Kannadiparambu dharmasasthavu
72. Chethamangalam ayyappan
73. Chovvara sasthavu
74. Edaneer vishnu
75. Kolasserykavu sastha
76. Paduvilakkavu sastha
77. Kaarakkattu sreedharma sasthavu
78. Paandangari dharmasastha
79. Rampuram sasthavu
80. Kanimangalam sasthavu
81. Elampalli madathil dharmasasthavu
82. Cheerappanchira mukkalvattam ayyappa
83. Vyasachalam sasthavu
84. Karthyakulangara sreedharmasastha
85. Thechikkottukavu sastha
86. Mupuramkavu sreekandansasthavu
87. Varamsasthamkotta temple
88. Pullukulangara darmasasthavu
89. Thrikkadambu temple
90. Chathankottakavu
91. Kodannoor sasthavu
92. Mangattu kavu ayyappan
93. Velupilli dharmasastha
94. Rarothu ayyappa
95. Thrivuvaniyoor temple
96. Malamel temple
97. Areswaram sasthavu
98. Karimpuzha sreeraman temple
99. Chathannoor bhoothanathan (siva temple)
100. Ponnabalamedu
101. Koovapalli narkkalakavu
102. Mundarakodu ayyappa
103. Eramam muthukkattukavu ayyappan
104. Kochambalam
105. Erumeli dharmasasthavu
106. Kezhoor dharmasasthavu
107. Niram kaithakkotta sasthavu
108. Arangavu sasthavu

Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi and Sastha at Aryankavu

Who is Mampazhathurai bhagawathi and what is her connection with Sastha. My friedn told me She is Pushkala whom Sastha marries at Aryan Kavu.

But it is also told Sastha Thirukalyanam at Aryankavu does not happen and that why she is kept alone at mampazhathurai and so she is angry? is it right.

The serial "Swami Ayyappan" gave a diiferent version. What is the actual fact.

V.R. Rajaraman

Senkottai
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Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi..

This is a very big doubt iam having  for a very long time. I dont find the direct relationship of Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi with Sastha Thirukalyanam at aryankavu - except the fact that the sourashtra people go and worship there before commencing the marriage.

As per the local lengend of Aryankavu if it is Pushkala.... there are 2 stories around this... let me first present these stories...

Story 1:
Ayyappan married this Girl at Madurai and brought her to Aryankavu / Achankovil... once Ayyappan hunted a deer and to his shock this girl started cooking it... Since Ayyappan is "VEGETARIAN" he ordered her to stay out of his temple premises and thus She stayed here.. and so she is angry because her husband neglected her... (this story style itself says it is too much Folklore.....)

Story 2 :
This sourashtrial Girl fell in love with ayyappan at Aryankavu and The Lord accepted to marry her.. the Marriage date was fixed and exactly the day before her marriage this girl had her periods and so marriage was stopped.. Ayyappan was very angry and understood that it was a test to his celibacy and so decided  not to marry and asked her to stay at Mampazhathurai as a deity.. (The marriage would have taken place at subtle plane like Andal and definitely not as stated in this story... this infact pulls down the divinity of Sastha.. this Episode was further treated with all Garam Masala with Malayala Manthereekan etc in "Swamy Ayyapan" serial and made the girl Pushkala almost to an extend of a Ghost )

I'l give 90% discount to the depictions shown in Swami Ayyappan serial... It is very much clear that, with one line information they have developed screenplay to drag the episodes...  (if you can remember the serial, please recollect.....

    * they picturised Achankovil as Sastha sitting alone without devis
    * there was hardly a mention about Poorna pushkala and only once - they gave a wonderful statement that Poorna and Pushkala -both are same
    * The marriage at Aryankavu doesnot takes place.. only the engagement takes place...
this was carried out to "ESTABLISH" sastha is a bachelor, a famous notion in Kerala...

Both these stories are absurd according to me. The marriage happened at Aryankavu between Sastha and the Sourashtra girl is not on physical plane but pure merger - "Aikyam" of the devotee with the Lord. This can be compared to Andal and Ranganatha's marriage. This is an ultimate state of supremeness and so the question of running a household and cooking vegetarian/nonvegetarian does not arise.

This story is further treated with salt and pepper by some more people. Also there is a romour spread that only the engagement happens there and not the marriage. But this is not true. The marriage very well happens every year and the devi is very very happy always.  Remember the devi with Sastha at Aryankavu is benign-sowmya swaroopini; (carriying a lotus) whereas Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi is ugra swaroopini. The form itself varies completely.

Please understand, the Thirukalyanam between Sourashtrian Pushkala and Sastha at Aryankavu is an example of supreme devotion and the state of oneness with the Lord, something similar to Radha Kalyanam.

According to my findings, Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi must be Yakshi who is an important parivaram of Sastha.

You can see she carries Trishoolam and kapalam which exactly fits into the dhyanam of yakshi.

I have deciphered the incident (in the following manner) with my very little knowledge and observation : (I have heard that there is a detailed mention of Aryankavu in Mahothra Purana or Mahendra Purana... but i could not even get any trace of the book.. Iam still searching it)

Aryankavu is a shrine which was installed by Parasurama as Prabha Sathyaka Samedha Sastha...(as Swambhu Stones like Kulathupuzhai).. The Panchaloka idol which is there today may be of a later date... Very much later... after the Sourashtrian settlement in Madurai (maybe maximum within 5 or 6 centuries ago), this Girl who was highly devoted to Sastha came to this temple along with her father.. (her name is not clear in the available versions of the stories) Exactly like Andal, who married Ranganatha in the subtle plane and merged with the Ranga idol in the Shrine, this devoted girl married Aryankavu Sastha and merged with him...

In memory of this divine leela, this marriage celebration by the Sourashtrian community would have originated...
Just because she is seated in the left side of the Lord she may be called Pushkala....(considering her as an amsha of original Pushkala) or by a remote chance - her original name itself maybe Pushkala.

Bagawathi is a very common name given to any female deity in Kerala.. this necessarly need not be her name...

I've heard about the rowdra Swabhavam of Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi... one of the disciples of my Grandfather told me the following incident about his personal experience...

Some 2 or 3 decades ago, he met my grandfather(Chaami Anna) and casually informed that he is also planning to go to this temple. Knowing that he is always hyper active, my Grandfather warned them about this temple and advised them just to have the darshan and donot do anything of their own without proper guidance. When their group reached this place, it was all alone and no one was there... and the temple gate was also closed.. they thought of doing Lalitha Sahasranama Kunkumarchana and so they opened the gate and entered there...

So they sat in front of the temple... placed a leaf and started the archana... even before they could complete 3rd nama, a Monitor Lizard (udumbu) fell exactly on the Trisulam which was planted nearby and it blood splashed all over the area, including the Puja place... They felt this as a bad omen and immediately vacated the place...

Mampazhathura is near Nagamali Estate in Kazuthuruthi near Punaloor. The local people claim her as Madurai Meenakshi.  (You may be aware that Yakshi is often identified with Meenakshi or Rajamatangi in most of the Varavu songs clearly attributed in his songs by Manidasar.. who is the Supreme court - with respect to Sastha) Inscriptions on the stone is surprisingly in Tamil only and the temple is pretty old one from its look.

Remember Mampazhathurai Bhagawathi is also related to Achan kovil.

These fact give us an idea that Mampazhathurai may be a Yakshi Kavu - a favorite parivaram of Sastha

Iam just presenting my view here and I'l never pass any Jugdement with Swami...
Who can give judgements with our Swami's vaibhavam?