Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple
| Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple | |
|---|---|
Kulathupuzha Sastha temple
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 Location in Kerala
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 8°54′30″N 77°03′20″E / 8.9082295°N 77.055501°ECoordinates: 8°54′30″N 77°03′20″E / 8.9082295°N 77.055501°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kollam |
| Location | Kulathupuzha |
| Culture | |
| Sanctum | Balasastha |
| Important festivals | Thiruulsavam in Medam, Vishu mahotsavam |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Traditional Kerala style |
| History and governance | |
| Governing body | Travancore Devaswom Board |
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located on the banks of Kulathupuzha river, a tributary of Kallada River. It is located in Kulathupuzha in Pathanapuram tehsil of Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The presiding deity there is Lord Ayyappa in the form of Balasastha. It is also one among the pancha sastha shrines and one of the 108 Sastha shrines in Kerala. The idol there is believed to be installed by Lord Parashurama, which is made up of eight pieces of stones.
Lord Ayyappa is the principal deity. He is in the form of Balasastha (child form of Ayyappa) and commonly known as 'Kulathupuzha Balakan'.
The temple is located in the Kulathupuzha reserve forest range in the east of Kollam district.Thiruvananthapuram - Shenkottai highway passes through Kulathupuzha. People from Tamil Nadu can approach the temple via Tenkasi - Shenkottai - Aryankavu - Thenmala route. The nearest railway station is at Thenmala, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi).
The deity here is in a fierce mood (ugramoorthi) as well as in auspicious mood (mangalapradayakan). Shiva, Yakshi, Vishnu, Ganapathi, Boothathan, Nagar, and Karuppaswami are the other subordinate deities in the temple.
Legend has it that the temple was founded by Pandalam raja, but the idol of Sastha was founded by a Brahmin from Kottarakkara. Earlier, the temple was under the possession of Kottarakkara raja. Later it was hand overed to Travancore devaswom board. The tantric rights of the temple is held by Kokkalathu mutt.
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