Erumeli Dharma Sastha temple

Erumeli Dharma Sastha temple

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

     Erumeli  is 65 km from Kottayam town. The way to trek to the Sabari Mala starts  there in a place called  KOttapadi. In this temple Dharma SAsthra is   in the hunter(kiratha form).  This seems to be appropriate since in the olden times  the way to Sabari malai was filled with wild animals  and the help and blessing of a hunter is needed  to reach there. In Erumeli  there is also a Mosque dedicated to Vavar  the muslim friend of Lord Ayyappan and a Ganapathi temple in Kottapadi. Pilgrims  offer worship at the Maha Ganapathi  temple  at KOttapadi, dress and paint themselves as hunters,  Worship at the mosque of Vavar  and reach the Erumeli temple. There they dance before the deity. This dance is called Petta  THullal.  The devotees believe that Lord Ayyappa also would be  along with them when they do Petta Thullal.

    On or around  January 12^th every tyear two teams one from Ambalapuzha and another from Alangad   reach Erumeli to do Petta Thullal.This would be preceded  by carrying of Chandana Kudam(sandal pot)   to Vavar;s mosque.The tem of Ambalapuzha   team  would   start their Petta thullal    from the Kiratha Sastha temple lead by their leader(Periyon)    and  they would reach the Muslim mosque  dancing. There they would be honoured by the priests of   the Mosque. There is a tradition that they would start dancing only after seeing the Krishna Parunthu  (Brahamani eagle)   flying in the sky. The Alangad team  would arrive in the afternoon and would start their dance only after sighting the star in the after noon sky. From there both teams would proceed to Pamba and participate in a grand feast there.