The State government has sanctioned Rs. 1.4 crore for the second phase of the Velliyankallu tourism project in Thrithala in the district.
The first phase of the project to promote heritage and cultural tourism on the banks of the Bharathapuzha was inaugurated last year.
In the second phase a children's park, garden, cafeteria, screen wall, will be constructed, said T.A. Padmakumar, Secretary, District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).
The Velliyankallu Park is situated very close to Thrithala Siva Temple and Thrithala Regulator-cum-Bridge constructed across Bharathapuzha.
Thrithala village in Ottapalam Taluk along the banks of Bharathapuzha is famed for its Siva Temple. The legend of ‘Parayi petta panthirukulam' is centered around Thrithala.
Legend
According to this story, a Brahmin named Vararuchi married a lower caste woman named Panchami, without knowing her true identity.
After the marriage, they set out on a long journey. During the course of the journey, the woman gave birth twelve times and each time her husband asked her to leave the babies at different places. Each of the babies was brought up by people of different castes, thus making the legendary ‘Panthirukulam’
These stories are mentioned in the book ‘Eithihyamala’ by Kottarathil Sankunni. The Siva Temple, probably built during the 9th or 10th century, marks the transition from Chola to the Pandiya style of architecture.
According to a legend, the child Agnihothri was bathing in the river along with his mother. He heaped the sand in the form of a mound on a plate (thalam in Malayalam). When the mother tried to remove the sand, she found that it had solidified in the form of a Siva Lingam.
Thus the deity is known as Thalathilappan, meaning God in a plate.
It is believed that the sharp bend in the river in the area was formed due to the river changing course on its own, to give space for the temple to be built.
Ayurveda hub
Thrithala is well known for the traditional Ayurvedic treatments centered in Mezhathur.
The development of the park on the river side and more infrastructure facilities will attract more tourists to Velliyankal, the DTPC secretary said.
