Vennimala

Vennimala is a small village located in Puthuppally Grama Panchayath of the Kottayam district in Kerala.[1] Vennimala is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of Kottayam.[2] It lies between the towns of Western Kerala and the mountains of the Western Ghats. Vennimala was once a dense forest.

Vennimala
Village
Vennimala Sree Rama Lakshmana Temple
Nickname(s): 
Vijayadri
Coordinates: 9.5686094°N 76.6027126°E / 9.5686094; 76.6027126
Country India
StateKerala
DistrictKottayam
Languages
 • OfficialMalayalam, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
686516
Telephone code0481
ClimateTropical monsoon (Köppen)
Avg. summer temperature28 °C (82 °F)
Avg. winter temperature16 °C (61 °F)

In Hindu mythology, Lord Rama and Lakshman visited this place in Treta Yuga and, Lakshman killed many demons (asuras) who threatened and harassed the local sages. Laxman's victory was celebrated in the village's name Vijayadri (successful place in Sanskrit) (Vennimala in Malayalam).[3][4][5]

There is a temple on the hill built by Bhaskaravarman. The present building may be of a later date, but the temple is believed to be about 1,000 years old. The main idol is Lakshmana Perumal. The state of Kerala has declared Vennimala in the Sri Rama-Lakshmana Swamy temple as a protected monument.[6] Vennimala is the initial headquarters of the Thekkumkur dynasty[7]

History

Unnuneli Sandesam, famous sandesa kavyam (message poem),[8] in 14th century CE is describes the capital cities of Thekkumkur, Vennimala and Manikandapuram. The poem also talk about the Thekkumkur king Raja and developments in the country. Humans settled here about 1,000 years ago.

References
  1. "Vennimala - Routes & Locations". www.keralatourism.org.
  2. "Vennimala is a well kept secret". www.manoramaonline.com.
  3. "Vennimala Sree Rama Lakshamana Perumal Temple". www.vaikhari.org.
  4. Book Title: The Collected Aithihyamaala - The Garland of legends from Kerala Volume 1-3, Author: Kottarathil Sankunni Translated by Leela James, ISBN 978-93-5009-968-1; Publisher: Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt Ltd, 4/5 floor, Corporate Centre, Plot No.:94, Sector 44, Gurgaon, India 122003; (First published in Bhashaposhini Literary Magazine in 1855~1937)
  5. Narayanan, M. G. S. 2002. ‘The State in the Era of the Ceraman Perumals of Kerala’, in State and Society in Premodern South India, eds R. Champakalakshmi, Kesavan Veluthat, and T. R. Venugopalan, pp.111–19. Thrissur, CosmoBooks
  6. "Vennimala temple declared protected monument". The Hindu. 2014-02-19.
  7. N.E Kesavan Namboothiri, Thekkumkoor Charithravum Puravrithavum (Kottayam: National Book Stall, 2014), 8-9
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2014-03-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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