The waters of Bharathapuzha may be drying up, but streams of stories, from legends to literature, linked deeply to the river will sure keep it flowing for centuries together.
At Velliyankallu in Thrithala village in Ottappalam taluk, where the Bharathapuzha takes a sharp and enchanting bend, a Shiva temple stands to tell one such story.
It is said that the river changed its course to give space for the temple, the legend of which also has its roots in the ‘Parayipetta Panthirukulam,’ one of Kerala’s famous pieces of mythology.
For the lovers of the river, Velliyankallu is a place from where the river can be enjoyed best for its majesty and mirth.
The spot is turning into a popular picnic spot, after an initiative to the effect made by local MLA V.T. Balram. A heritage park is being set up for visitors who arrive in evenings to see the Thrithala regulator-cum-bridge constructed across the Bharathapuzha.
It was in 2013 that the first phase of the Velliyankallu tourism project was inaugurated. Recently, the State government sanctioned Rs.1.4 crore for the second phase, based on which work on a children’s park, garden, cafeteria, and screen wall is progressing.
The park and the tourism facilities are named after the ‘Panthirukulam’ fable. The temple is also a prominent marker, giving the village of Thrithala its name.
Aithihyamala by Kottarathil Sankunni mentions about the temple in a chapter on ‘Panthirukulam’ or the ‘Clan of 12’. One member of the clan, Mezhathol Agnihothri, was bathing in the river when he heaped sand on a plate (Thalam in Malayalam) and shaped a mound of it.
The sand solidified on the plate in the form of a Shivalingam, which began to be worshipped as Thalathilappan, which means God on a plate.
The Shiva temple, probably built during the 9th or 10th century, marks the transition from Chola to the Pandiya style of architecture, say historians.
