| Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple | |
|---|---|
Parassinikadavu Madappura | |
 Parassinikadavu Temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kannur district |
| Deity | Muthappan |
| Governing body | Malabar Devaswom Board[1] |
| Location | |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
  Location within Kerala | |
| Geographic coordinates | 11°58′56.87″N 75°24′7.22″E / 11.9824639°N 75.4020056°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Kerala Kavu Architecture |
Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan temple is a temple located at Parassinikadavu in Anthoor municipality on the banks of the Valapattanam river about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Taliparamba and 20 km (12 mi) from Kannur town in Kannur district, Kerala, India.[2][3] Principal deity of the temple is Sree Muthappan, whose divinity is presented as a ritualistic theyyam enactment in two versions called Thiruvappan and Vellattam. According to the local tradition the presiding deity is a manifestation of Lord Shiva.[4]
Vellattam and Thiruvappan are the generic names for two types of ' Theyyam Ketti-aadal ' in the kavu/temples of North Malabar.
Vellattam is a minor version of the ritual enactment where the ornaments, decorations and parapharnelia are minimal thanks to which all actions including vaaythari (speech) is maximum and Attam (dance) will be at its peak. If you compare this level of enactment to the idol of a deity in a temple sanctum which is installed as per sathwic sasthra and vedic rituals, Vellattam is at par with the idol alone without the prabha-mandalam which circles it. An easier example is the Seeveli ceremony with only the small idol on top of the elephant.
On the other hand, Thiruvappana is the full version, with royal regalia and bigger dimension of prabhamandalam. Because the decorations are more and are of binding nature, the action is minimal and sluggish and the uriyaadal (replies to prayers) will be crisp, to the point and predictions will be accurate. To compare, Thiruvappana stands at par with temple idol with the Prabha-mandalam (representing the auric circle) around it and the Seeveli with the big Swarna-Kolam covering the small idol on top of the elephant .
Muthappan is considered as the manifestation of Lord Shiva himself in Nayattu (hunter) format. The Vellattam which comes initially is Siva himself as the said minimal version. But the Vellattam which comes along with the grand Thiruvappana of Muthappan later on, is the minimal version of Vishnu who according to mythology, comes to Siva's assistance when he started travelling with the poykannu (blindfold) and started suffering serious difficulties to travel and hunt for food.
Rituals of the temple is unique in that it does not follow the Satvic Brahminical form of worship, as in other Hindu temples of Kerala. The main mode of worship is the ritual enactment of both the versions of Muthappan, through a traditional dance known as Muthappan Theyyam.[4][5] Fish, meat and toddy are the customary offerings to Muthappan.[6] Muthappan Thiruvoppana Mahothsavam is the major festival of the temple, celebrated for three days every year on 19, 20 and 21 of Kumbham (the days correspond to 3, 4 and 5 March).
- ^ "Temples under Malabar Devaswam Board, Division : Thalassery" (PDF). Malabar Devaswam Board. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ A. Sreedhara Menon (1982). The Legacy of Kerala. Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-81-264-2157-2. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Official website of Kannur". Archived from the original on 26 February 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Muthappan festival". The Hindu. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
railwaywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ A Sreedhara Menon (2008). Cultural Heritage of Kerala. D C Books. p. 42. ISBN 978-81-264-1903-6. Retrieved 25 August 2012.