Marangattupilly - Andoor Sree Gandharva Swami Temple

Andoor Sree Gandharva Swami Temple

The temple is situated in Andoor kara in Maramgattupilly panchayath of Kottayam district. It is 200 meters south of’ Illickal Thazhe’ stop in Pala – Vaikom route.

It is a very rare gandharva temple as the ‘Prathishta’(Presiding deity) in the main ‘sreekovil ‘ (sanctum sanctorum ) is ‘Gandharva with Yakshi on his laps’.It is a very special feature of the temple and no other Gandharva temple have this .

Besides the presiding deity there are sub-deities such as ‘Bhagavathi’ facing west,and “sastha’ Rakshas’ and ‘Guru’ facing east.

The century’s old temple is believed to be built by the then local Nair lords of Pallattu family.The temple and its properties are preserved and maintained by four families of the ancient Pallattu family.A committee of devotees are also present and this committee looks after the day –to-day activities of the temple.

Usually the temple is opened for poojas in two days in a month(Malayalam era) i.e., the star day “Thiruvonam’ forThiruvona pooja and the end of every Malayalam month for ‘Samkranthi pooja’.

The ‘Samkranthi pooja’ has a very special significance as it is believed that a woman continuously attend and worship 12 samkranthi poojas she can get through the obstacles in getting married. Attending samkranthi pooja also helps to remove ‘Sani dosha’,’Sathru Dosha’ and the obstacles in education. The main poojas besides the usual poojas are:-

• ‘Ashtami Rohini’ in the month of Chingam

• Four days of poojas in connection with the ‘Navarathri’ in the month of “kanni’

• Mandala pooja ‘ begins in the month of ‘Vrichikam’1

• 5 days of pooja and rituals such as ‘Kalamezhuth’ and Gandharvan pattu’in connection with the ‘Vishu utsav’

• Prathishta Dinam’ in the 6th of”Medam”

• Ramayana masa poojas in the month of ‘Karkkidakom’.

A ‘Sarpa kavu’ is also there near the premise of the temple.’Sarpa pooja’ is also performed in an auspicious occasion in between the Vishu Utsav and ‘Pathamudayam’. Devotees can offer poojas in this time to remove ‘Sarpa Dosha