Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple- Kerala

Address

Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple- Sasthamcotta, Kollam District, Kerala- 690 521.

Deity

Ayyappa Amman: Prabha

Introduction

• Shri Dharma Sastha Temple is located in Sasthamkotta, Kerala, India, and is uniquely positioned on three sides by the Sasthamkotta Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
• The temple is renowned for its monkey inhabitants, believed to be the divine retinue of the prime deity, Shri Dharma Sastha.
• It is one of the five ancient Sastha temples in Kerala, alongside Achan Koil, Aryankavu, Kulathupuzha, and Sabarimala.
• The temple represents a blend of Vaishnava and Shaiva beliefs and features the presiding deity, Shri Dharma Sastha, along with his consort, Prabha, and son, Sathyaka.

Puranic Significance

• The legend of the temple dates back to the Ramayana (Treta Yuga), during which Shri Rama, accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana, and the vanara sena, visited Sasthamcotta to pay respects to Shri Dharma Sastha after defeating Ravana.
• Shri Rama performed pithru tharpan on the lake’s banks, believed to have waters similar to the Surya Raga Theertha of Manasa Sarovar.
• Neelan, the chief architect of the vanara army, was appointed by Shri Rama to serve the deity, and is regarded as the ancestor of the temple’s monkey clan.
• Another legend involves a sovereign of Pandalam, who married a princess from Kayamkulam. Unable to regularly visit Sabarimala, he faced divine displeasure from Lord Ayyappa.
• After a twelve-day period of penance at Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa appeared in the king’s dream, instructing him to worship Shri Dharma Sastha at Sasthamcotta instead.
• Following this revelation, a youth participating in a festival discovered a swayambhu idol on an island in the lake, worshipped by a family of monkeys, leading to the temple’s reconstruction.

Special Features

• The main deity, Sri Dharma Sastha, is accompanied by his consort Prabha and son Sathyaka.
• The deity shares similar attributes to Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala, and the temple is referred to as Kota in its earlier name.
• Minor deities include Ganapathy, Shiva, Yakshiyamma, and Nagaraja.
• The temple is administratively managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board and is recognized for its unique environment filled with monkeys, regarded as divine servants of the deity.

Festivals

• Utsavam (Annual Festival): Lasting ten days, the festival begins with the hoisting of the flag and concludes with the ‘araattu’ on the Utram day in Kumbham (February-March). The tenth day features the Kettukazhcha, a vibrant procession showcasing effigies, decorated chariots, and a multitude of elephants adorned with netthipattam (decorative head-dress).
• Shiva Prathishta Vaarshikom: The installation of the idol of Lord Shiva in a newly constructed shrine occurs on Atham in the Malayalam month of Edavam (May-June), celebrated annually.
• Other significant festivals include Thiruvonam, Navaratri, Mandala Mahotsav (41 days), Makara Sankrama pooja, Sivaratri, Painkuni Utram, Pathamudayam, and Karkidaka Vavu.

Century/Period/Age

1000- Years old

Managed By

Travancore Devaswom Board.

Nearest Bus Station

Sasthamkotta

Nearest Railway Station

Sasthamkotta

Nearest Airport

Thiruvananthapuram

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