Sree Muthappan is a Hindu deity worshipped commonly in Kannur district of north Kerala state, South India . Muthappan and Thiruvappan, are considered to be a manifestation of Shiva and Vishnu , and hence Muthappan wholly represents the idea of Brahman , the unity of God, as expressed in the Vedas .
Worship of Muthappan is unique, in that it does not follow the Sattvic (Brahminical) form of worship, as in other Hindu temples. The main mode of worship is not via idol worship, but via a ritual enactment of Muthappan, performed daily at the Parassini Kadavu temple. Fish is used as an offering to Muthappan, and people of all castes, religions and nationalities are permitted to enter the temple and take part in the worship.
Muthappan is also the principal deity in the ritualistic Theyyam dance ( Muthappan Theyyam ) performed in the famous Parassinikkadavu temple . The ritual performers of Muthappan Theyyam belong to the tribal community of Kerala. It is unique because in Kerala both the upper-caste Brahmins, and the lower-caste tribals, both have a significant contribution to the major forms of worship.
Muthappan The Naduvazhi (landlord) Ayyankara Illath Vazhunnavar was unhappy as he had no child. His wife Padikutty Antharjanam was a devotee of Lord Shiva. She offered several things as sacrifice to the God Shiva. One day in her dream she saw the Lord. The very next day while she was returning after a bath from a near by river saw a pretty child lying in a flower bed. She took the child home and brought him up as her own son.
The boy used to visit the jungle near by their house (mana)for hunting with his bow and arrows. He would take food with the poor and with the backward communities. As these acts were against the Namboothiri way of life, his parents earnestly requested him to stop this practice. But the boy turned a deaf ear to their warnings. Ayyankara Vazhunavar became very disappointed.
One day the boy went to his parents and shown his parents his divine form (visvaroopam) with bow and arrow and fiery eyes. His parents understood that the boy was not an ordinary child but a God. They prostrated in front of him and ‘He’ blessed them.
The God started journey from Ayyankara. The natural beauty of the Kunnathoor stopped him from his journey. He was attracted by the toddy of palm trees.
Chandhan (name of a toddy tapper who was illiterate and uncivilized knew of his toddy being stolen from his palm trees every day. So he thought of guarding his palm trees. While he was keeping guard at night, an old man was found stealing toddy from his palms. He got very angry and tried to shoot the old man using his bow and arrow. While he was about to aim an arrow at him, he fell unconscious.
Chandan’s wife who came there seeking for her husband saw him lying unconscious. She cried broken heartedly. When she looked up she saw an old man at the top of the palm tree, she called “MUTHAPPA ” (as if addressed to a grandfather, Muthappan means grand father in Malayalam language). She earnestly prayed to God to save her husband. Before long chandhan regained consciousness.
She offered boiled grams, slices of coconut, burnt fish and toddy to the Muthappan (Even today in Sree Muthappan temples the divotees are being offered boiled grams and slices of coconut). She sought benediction from him. Muthappa choose Kunnathoor as his residence at the request of Chandhan, this is the famous Kunnathoor padi.
After spending some years at Kunnathoor Sree Muhtappa decided to get more favorable place as his residence so that he could fulfill his aim of reincarnation. He shot an arrow up ward from Kunnathoor. The shaft reached at Parassini where the famous Parassini Temple resides now. The arrow which was emitting glow from the Theertha (sacred water ) near the temple was received with evotion and placed on the altar of the temple. Since then lord Muthappan is considered as residing at Parassinikkadavu.
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