Kannur: A temple here has a long legacy of promoting religious brotherhood as a local Muslim family is accorded the status of a benefactor. It is the head of this family who gets the first mention in the proclamation of the history of the temple and when the representative of the deity takes field during the annual 'Perumkaliyaattam' ritual.
'Perumkaliyaattam' will be conducted from December 23 to 26.
The tradition of orally depicting the history, carried out by the assigned representative of the deity and made with the accompaniment of the blow of conch shell etc, makes reference to one 'Chaanathalayan Kaaranavar'.
'Chaanathalayan' is the most prominent Muslim family in Puratheruvath, Kunjimangalam. It is from this family that an urn of sugar is offered to the goddess on the first day of the 'Perumkaliyaattam'.
During the festivities, there is a tradition of offering platters of betel leaves to the goddess. Another old practice is offering ritually purified rice, which is meant for the deity, to the head of the 'Chanathalayan' family.
The old-timers here have this to say about the origin of these traditions:-
The goddess came here from Kokkat Muchilottu. Four gateways are made for the women coming for the 'Perumkaliyattam' ritual. The western gateway is reserved for those coming from Kunjimangalam.
The women from the main nine Nair families from Kunjimangalam such as Mundayadan, Varikkara, Kolangaratth, Theruvatth veedu, Kaipravan, Mallappally, Muthuvadath, Paaranthatta and Kuppadakkath assembled at the western gateway. Every family there was blessed and given a share of the devotional offerings. However, the women from Kunjimangalam were not given their due. Hurt and insulted, they returned and tried to rest under a jackfruit tree at Puratheruvath.
Seeing these women in sorrow, Chaanathalayan, a Muslim trader selling his wares nearby enquired about the reason. He gave them betel leaves and other stuff to console the women who were about to leave. However, they could not lift their palm-frond umbrella from the ground. Chaanathalayan informed this to the local people. In the ensuing astrological calculations, they noticed the presence of goddess Muchilott Bhagavathy at the site.
Later it was decided to conduct the 'Perumkaliyaattam' ritual that year itself. When the ritual was about to begin, Chaanathalayan donated a bundle of new clothes. These clothes were used to enclose the royal chamber and the first 'Perumkaliyaattam' ritual was conducted like a grand wedding. That was how the rights of presiding over this ritual came to the head of the Muslim 'Chaanathalayan' family.
