Overview

Sree Prasanna Mahaganapathy Temple

Location

History

Deities

Photo Gallery

Utsavams

Vahanas

Adimakkavu

Other Agraharam Information

Contact Information

Well Known Elders from the Agraharam

Food and Catering

Hall for functions and Lodging

Bank Accounts for sending Kanikkai, donation or vazhipadu

Author's Notes

Parakkulam Kizhakke Gramam - 100 Agraharams Project

There are several places named Parakulam, or Parakkulam, across this region. Parakkulam literally means "tank of rocks." One Parakulam is near Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam (Quilon). Another is located along the Palakkad-Ponnani Road. However, the most surprising one is near Thiruchuzhi, the birthplace of Bhagavan Ramana, south of Madurai. We've often seen how places and temples in Palakkad are named after the regions from which people migrated. I wonder if the agraharam here was similarly established.

Like many agraharams during their peak, both East and West agraharams emerged, though it’s hard to say which came first. Given its proximity to the pond, it seems likely that the eastern village was settled first.

The presiding deity of the village is Prasanna Mahaganapathy. However, the area is better known for the older Vermanoor Shiva Temple, located just behind the Ganapathy temple.

Visiting this place can be quite moving, especially when you realize that the rice grown in this region once contributed to the daily offerings to the Lord of Guruvayur.

Sri Maddy in Historic Alleys writes thus. "Nestling between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is the rice bowl of Malabar, todays Palakkad. Its strategic location and rich agricultural tradition was a cause for many a battle. Primary was its produce being important for expanding populations and secondly because it was the entry point of the Tamilakam trade route, i.e. the Palakkad gap. Carts and animals of trade carried produce back and forth through a domestic highway of sorts. As time went by and the kingdoms in North Malabar became more and more affluent and populated, and as import of rice from the Konkan and Coromandel ice traders came under threat, the southern rice producing areas became even more important The Palghat rajas, whom we talked about in the past, were not always the overlords of the entire district as we know it today, since some parts of it were either under the suzerainty of either the Zamorin or the Kochi raja. At its southern extremity, and bordering the Nelliyampathy jungles and the Tamil border were a bunch of small principalities of Chittur, Kollengode, Pallasena, Pallavur, Nemmara, Kunissery, Trippalur and finally Alathur. Today a bustling national highway connects Alathur to Palghat via Koyalmannam, but in the past, the important road from Palghat passed through Koduvayur and Kunissery to reach Alathur and through the Kuthiran hill to Trichur and beyond. Cart traffic and an occasional bus passing through Pallavur and coming from Pallasensa also touched Kunisseri, thus defining its importance as a junction."

It’s truly inspiring to see people like Smt. Sivakami (Uma) and their deep love for their agraharam. It is only through such profound love and gratitude for one's roots that agraharams will continue to thrive.

Radhe Krishna

Sriram(Hari)

100-Agraharams Project

Rama Bhagavathar Charitable Trust

October 17, 2024