Andalurkavu
| Andalurkavu | |
|---|---|
അണ്ടല്ലൂർക്കാവ് | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Deity | Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Seetha |
| Location | |
| Location | Thalassery, Kannur, Kerala, India |
| Architecture | |
| Type | India |
Sree Andalurkavu is a very ancient and famous and prominent Thiyya Community Urayima temple in Andalur in Dharmadam village of Kannur district, Kerala, India. It counts among the Abhimana Kshethras of Vaishnavite Shrines. This ancient temple is in the name of Lord Rama and the main festival is celebrated in mid-February: the first week of the month "Kumbam" of the Malayalam calendar.[1] This Kavu also has a story of how the Kalaripayat warrior Thacholi Othenan, who once caused trouble in this Thiyar-dominated Kavu Andalur of Thalassery, was punished and defeated by the Thiyars and crossed the country through the bridge.[2]
Etymology[edit]
The name Andalurkavu ("Andar-villoor-kavu") can be interpreted as the grove (sacred kavu) where the sacred weapons of deities are kept. There are interpretations that say this kavu was created by Sree Parasuraman, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There are interesting interpretations behind names of all the other places that surround Andalur like Melur, Palayad and Dharmadam. The Andalur, especially the Andalurkavu is the most divine place for the people in all these areas.[citation needed]
Worship[edit]
In Andalur kavu Thira (also theyyam or theyaattam) is the main ritual of worship. It is one of the rare places where Yuddha kanda of Ramayana — the great epic — is visualised and performed. The main deities are Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman. One significance for this kavu is that it has two holy places called Mele Kavu (upper temple) and Thazhe kavu (lower temple).[3]
The Thazhe (pronounced as Thuley, but with the tongue touching the roof of the soft palate while saying the "l") Kavu is a sacred grove which harbors several rare plants species typical of the Myristica swamps, notably Syzygium travancoricum, an endangered endemic plant. Much of the flora of the sacred grove has been lost due to poor regeneration and the disturbance from cattle and human activity in this thickly populated area.
Annual festival[edit]
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The annual festival is a wonderful visualisation of devotional unity of a place where people still follow very old and sacred customs throughout the season. It is the time the village gets themselves into a feeling in which they become part of and enjoy the happiness of being part of the glory of Lord Rama. It is the festival where it pictures the great culture merging the normal and common life with great old mythologies. The festival begins in February second week lasting seven days. More than ten theyyams are performed here during the festival. Among them the theyyam named Daivathaar is the most important one. Devotees consider Daivathaar as a channel/medium of Lord Rama.
Accessibility[edit]
Nearest Airports:
- Kannur International Airport - 20 km (12 mi)
- Kozhikode International Airport - 100 km (62 mi)
- Mangalore International Airport - 165 km (103 mi)
Nearest Towns / Railway stations :
- Thalassery - 7 km (4.3 mi)
- Kannur - 20 km (12 mi)
- Mangalore - 160 km (99 mi)
Gallery[edit]
-
Kanathoor Temple Sree Rama Deivathar with Thiyyar Community Achanmar 1901 -
Thiyyar ooralar at andaloor kavu -
theyyam make up -
-
A sculpture of god Hanumaan
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Theyyam festival at Andalur Kavu, Kannur, Kerala".
- ^ Nisha, P. R. (12 June 2020). Jumbos and Jumping Devils: A Social History of Indian Circus. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-099207-1.
- ^ "Andalur Kavu | Mele Kavu and Thazhe Kavu | Cultural Circuit | Thalassery Heritage Project | Kannur, Kerala". Thalassery Heritage Project. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
External links[edit]
- Sree Andalurkavu
- A page from Anna Howard Shaw Center, Boston University - School of Theology[permanent dead link]
- Dharmadam