Situated on the banks of the Meenachil River, the Dharma Shasta Temple was built by the Pandya King Manavikrama Pandyan, who founded the Poonjar Dynasty. Manavikrama Pandyan during his travel for establishing a new kingdom was in search of a place which would have plenty of water and be ideal for the hundreds of people who followed him from Madurai. Captivated by the beauty of the Poonjar, a divin
e experience led him to the banks of the Meenachil river. The Dharma Shasta Temple is one of the few temples in Kerala where the chuttuvillakku (lamps around the outer wall of the temple) is carved out of stone. Since all the workers who arrived with Manavikrama Pandyan were Tamilians, arriving from a land where wood was scarce and stone was abundant, they were all trained to carve beautifully on stone. Thus, stone carvings and stone chittuvillakku’s are found in the temples belonging to the Poonjar royal family. Within the temple are depictions of epics and legends carved on wood. The bathing ghat of temple is an impressive structure with stone steps descending into the clear waters of the river. The temple also has a large ootupura which is rented out for marriages and functions. The annual ulsavam of the temple is held each year on the Makaram month of each year. The temple festival is celebrated with rituals and various programs over eight days. The Aada Vazhivaadu is the special offering here. The aada, a sweet mixture of coconut and jaggery, wrapped in banana leaves, is steam cooked in a traditional fire stove and then offered to the deity.
