Kirathamurthy Temple, Pannippagam, Kanyakumari
Kirathamurthy
Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Pannippagam in
Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu. The temple is a part of the famed Shivalaya
Ottam conducted during Shivaratri. It is the sixth temple in the run sequence.
Legends
Lord Shiva blessed Arjuna with Pasupatha Asthra:
Arjuna, to win the war in Mahabharata, wanted to get the
Pasupathasthiram. So, he went to the forest and did meditation upon the Lord
Siva. To spoil this, Duryodhana sent Moohasuran. Moohasuran metamorphosed
himself into a Pig and attacked Arjuna. Lord Siva came to his rescue as a
hunter and attacked the pig with his arrow and at the same time, Arjuna also
did the same. But Arjuna's bow broke and he beat the hunter with his broken bow
on his head and it was felt by all the people of the world. Then Arjuna
understood that he was the Lord Siva and Arjuna fell at his feet. Since the Lord
Siva came as a hunter to kill the Pig, this Place has got such a name. Lord
Shiva blessed Arjuna with Pasupathasthiram (missile of the Lord of the animals).
There is another temple in the middle of the paddy field and it is still known
as Kattalan Koil.
Pannippagam:
The name
of the village Pannippagam itself means pig (Panni=Pantri). True to its name, wild
boar menace is a problem for farmers in this part of Kanyakumari district.
Sage Vyakarapadhar worshipped Lord Shiva here:
Sage
Vyakarapadhar visited this place and worshipped Lord Shiva here.
The
Temple
The
temple is surrounded by lush green fields and located near the foothills of
Mookkunnimala. The Lord here is in the form of Kirathamurthy or the hunter
incarnation. This is a small temple built in Tamil architectural style. The
Vimana or the roof above the sanctum is well sculpted. The temple has a state
of Nandi wherein, the bull sits in a mandapa surrounded by lamps facing his
Lord. There is a shrine for Kala Bhairavar in the north-east corner
of the temple.
Temple Opening Time
The Temple remains open from 5.00 AM to 11.00 AM and
5.00 PM to 8.00 PM.
Festivals
·
Shivalaya Ottam
·
Shivaratri
·
Thiruvadirai
·
Chittirai kodiyetram
Peruvizha
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 10 Kms from Kumaracoil,
24 Kms from Vilavancode, 16 Kms from Marthandam, 20 Kms from Kuzhithurai, 13
Kms from Thiruvattaru, 17 Kms from Nattalam, 7 Kms from Thuckalay, 18 Kms from Colachel,
20 Kms from Nagercoil, 10 Kms from Eraniel, 27 Kms from Boothapandi, 44 Kms
from Kanyakumari and 62 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is
located at Eraniel and Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram.
