Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple

Overview

The Shri Dharma Sastha temple is situated in Sasthamkotta, Kerala. It is surrounded on three sides by the largest fresh water lake in Kerala called as Sasthamkotta lake. Sasthamkotta is among the more significant places that are valued for the performance of bali, which is a ritual performed on the day of the new moon in Karkidakam (July-August) to propitiate the spirits of forefathers. Many offer bali on the banks of the Sasthamcotta lake, which is one of the fresh water lakes of Kerala.

About The Temple

The Sasthamcotta temple is one among the five old Sastha temples in Kerala - AchanKoil, Aryankavu, Kulathupuzha, Sasthamcotta and Sabarimala. The temple was worked by a Prince of Pandalam Royal family. The temple here is outstanding for loads of monkeys. The temple monkeys are accepted to be the awesome entourage of the prime divinity. The temple is under the regulatory control of Travancore Devaswom Board.

About The Deity

The managing god of the temple is Sree Dharma Sastha, joined by his associate "Prabha" and child 'Sathyaka'. The Dharmasastha (divinity) here is said to have an indistinguishable forces from that of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala and the place gets the name from the deity, the previous name being Kota. Ganapathy, Shiva, Yakshiyamma, Nagaraja are the minor gods.

Legend and Stories

Once a sovereign of Pandalam wedded a princess from the regal group of Kayamkulam and settled there. The sovereign, who used to consistently supplicate at the Sabarimala place of worship, thought that it was hard to proceed with his standard month to month visits. This disappointed Lord Ayyappa and the indications of the Lord's dismay began appearing inside the regal family. The ruler apologized for the oversight, set out for Sabarimala and adored there for a time of twelve days. The stresses over dealing with the Sabarimala darshan, aggravated him from the start. On the night of the twelfth day of veneration, Lord Ayyappa showed up before him in his fantasy and recommended that he better keep on staying at Kayamkulam itself, and as opposed to going to Sabarimala, continue to Sasthamcotta and revere Sri Dharma Sastha where a similar perfect nearness of Sabarimala existed.

The Lord additionally said that 'an adolescent who goes to the prospective celebration at Kayamkulam royal residence will find the place'. As said in the fantasy, a youth who took part in the archery rivalry of the celebration shot an arrow. A group, including the Prince and the youth, began towards the eastern bearing, looking for the bolt to proclaim the victor. At last they achieved the bank of a lovely lake. There was a little island in the lake and the arrow of the shotter was found there. Shockingly, there was a little stage on which a swayambhu symbol was being venerated by a monkey family! Around then the young fellow vanished. The Kayamkulam lord then redesigned and constructed the temple in its present shape.

As indicated by another legend, it is trusted that in the wake of slaughtering Ravana, Lord Ram alongside his better half Sita, sibling Lakshmana and the entire vaanara sena, went by Sasthamkotta on their wayback to Ayodhya. Rama offered pithru tharpan on the banks of the Sasthamcotta Lake, which should be indistinguishable to Surya Raga Theertha of Manasa Sarovar. Ruler Rama then deputed Neelam, the central draftsman of his vanara group, to serve Shri Dharma Sastha. It is trusted that Neelan is the forerunner of the predominant monkey tribe in the temple.

Pooja Timing

Palli Unarth – 04:30 am
Nirmalyam – 05:00 am
Usha Pooja - 06:45 am
Ucha Pooja - 11:30 am
Deeparadhana – 06:00 pm to 06:45 pm
Athazha Pooja - 7:30 pm to 07:45 pm.

Festivals

Utsavam (Annual festival)

The utsavam lasts for ten days. The flag is hoisted on the first day heralding the utsavam. The utsavam culminates with the ‘araattu’ on ‘Utram’ in the month of Kumbham (February-March). The tenth day hosts the ‘Kettukazhcha’, a procession of various effigies of bullocks, horses, decorated chariots, etc. A number of elephants with their netthipattam (decorative head-dress) also come to the temple to pay reverence to the prime deity, who sits atop a caparisoned elephant at the temple courtyard, escorted with many other decorated elephants.

Shiva Prathishta Vaarshikom

The holy function of the installation of the idol of Lord Shiva (Shiva Prathishta) in the newly built shrine was conducted on Atham in the Malayalam month of Edavam (May-June). Hence this day is celebrated every year as Shiva Prathishta Vaarshikom.

Other Festivals

Thiruvonam, Navaratri, Mandala Mahotsav (41 days), Makara Sankrama pooja, Sivaratri, Painkuni Utram, Pathamudayam, Karkidaka Vavu are the other major festival celebrated in this temple.

Offering

Ada, Idichupizhinja payasam, Aravana, Kadalipazham, Neeranjanam for Dharma Sastha. Payazam, Jaladhara for Siva. Ottayappam for Ganapathi, Vara nivedyam for Yakshiyamma, Palpayasam for Rekshas. Poovan pazham, ilaneeru for Risheeswaran and Naleekeram udaykkal for Madanswami.

How to Reach Sasthamcotta

The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Sasthamcotta has a small railway station about 4 km from Sasthamcotta town. Sasthamcotta is well connected with the other parts of Kerala by road and rail.

Temple Address

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