Sree Avanangattil Kalari Sree Vishnumaya Temple

About this place

Sree Avanangattil Kalari Sree Vishnumaya Temple stands at Avanangattil Kalari, Kizhakkummuri, Peringottukara, in Thrissur district, Kerala 680571. The map pin matches this kalari shrine in the same village. The temple’s own account calls it the moolasthanam of Vishnumaya worship in Kerala. The deity is Sree Vishnumaya, also called Chathan, installed in ugra bhava, facing east, with a kuruvadi in one hand and an amritha kumbham in the other, seated on a buffalo.

The name comes from the avanakku, the castor plant that once covered this ground. Avanakku-kadu, a castor forest, later became Avanangattil, and kalari names the yard where kalaripayattu was taught. The temple’s history, also recalled in Kottarathil Sankunni’s Aithihyamala, follows the Panicker family of Kizhakkummuri. Unnunni Panicker’s sons, Unnithaman and Kelunni, trained as warriors. When rivals turned hostile rites against them, they sought Punchanalloor Bhattatiri, received the moola mantra of Vishnumaya and the bhootha ganas, and after long penance brought the deity to their village. A king, advised with the authorities of Sree Rama Temple at Thriprayar, is said to have built the shrine beside the kalari. Unnithaman remained a brahmachari. His samadhi, Valliyachan Kottil, stands between the kalari and the temple under an old mango tree, and the bhootha ganas are believed to reside there. Present priests of the Panicker line are described as descendants of Kelunni Panicker. Published notes also say Thiyyar families hold the right to offer pushpanjali. The shrine was rebuilt with support from Sakthan Thampuran and is now run by a temple trust. Older accounts speak of bird offerings. The offering named for the present day is red-dyed silk.

The compound is described as about ten acres among paddy fields. The sreekovil faces east. A small Bhagavathi shrine and two sarpakavu stand on the east side. The pond on the west is kept for temple use, and bathing in it is not permitted. Padipura stand on the east and the west, and an annadhana mandapam on the north serves devotees through the day. Worship follows the shaktheya manner. Each day a vellichapad sits before the shrine in niyogam. The temple site lists darshan from 6:00 a.m., niyogam tokens from 7:00 a.m. for that day only, niyogam from 12:30 p.m. after the ucha pooja at Thriprayar, deeparadhana at 6:30 p.m., and athazha pooja at 7:00 p.m. Map listings often show the gate from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saktheya pushpanjali is tied, in older notices, to full-moon and new-moon days. Ask the office which clock applies on the day of the visit.

Offerings named on the temple site include Saktheya Pushpanjali, Vellattu Karmam, Chuttuvilakku, Nivedyam, and Niramala. Rates and the queue are published at avanangattilkalari.com and can change. The office numbers on that site are 0487 227 0100 and +91 8078 021 222. A dress note widely repeated for this temple asks men to wear mundu or dhoti without a shirt, and women to wear a saree or pavada. Confirm the rule at the gate.

The main festival is Vellattu Maholsavam, ten days in the month of Kumbham, usually February or March. It opens with Ezhunallathu, and members of the Thira manar take part. Kalampattu is held for four days before the Malayalam months of Karkidakam and Vrishchikam. Dates shift with the calendar, so the year’s notice should be checked before travel. The temple states that devotees of other faiths may attend, and that women are received here. A niyogam token, a special vazhipadu, or a festival-day visit should be fixed with the office, because same-day tokens are limited.

🚉 Nearest Railway: Thrissur Railway Station (about 19 km by road, via Chavakkad–Kanjany–Peringottukara Road)

✈️ Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport (about 56 km via NH-544)

🚌 Nearest Bus: Peringottukara 4 Way Junction Bus Stop (about 2 km). Buses run from Sakthan Thampuran Bus Stand, Thrissur, toward Peringottukara. Confirm the current stop and the short onward ride to Avanangattil Kalari.

🏨 Nearest Stay: Hotel Peringottukara Palace, Kizhakkummuri (a short drive in the same village). Sitaram Beach Retreat and other stays at Nattika are roughly 6 to 9 km away. Ask the property to confirm rooms before arrival.

📝 Notes: This is Sree Avanangattil Kalari, Kizhakkummuri P.O., Peringottukara, Thrissur 680571. Daily niyogam, Vellattu Maholsavam in Kumbham, and Kalampattu before Karkidakam and Vrishchikam are the main fixed points. Pooja hours, token rules, dress, and vazhipadu rates should be confirmed with the temple. The published office lines are 0487 227 0100 and +91 8078 021 222, and the site is avanangattilkalari.com.<|eos|>