Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan Temple Parassinikkadavu,Kerala

Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan temple is a temple located at Parassinikadavu in Anthoor municipality on the banks of the Valapattanam river about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Taliparamba and 20 km (12 mi) from Kannur town in Kannur district, Kerala, India.Under the Thiyya community urayima, the principal deity of the temple is Sree Muthappan, whose divinity is presented as a ritualistic theyyam enactment in two versions called Thiruvappan and Vellattam. According to the custom and ritualistic rights , all the rituals for muthappan should be done by the members of the Thiyyar community of Malabar.

Vellattam and Thiruvappan are the generic names for two types of ‘ Theyyam Ketti-aadal ‘ in the kavu/temples of North Malabar.

Rituals of the temple is unique in that it does not follow the Brahminical form of worship, as in other Hindu temples of Kerala. The main mode of worship is the ritual enactment of both the versions of Muthappan, through a traditional dance known as Muthappan Theyyam.[4][6] Fish, meat and toddy are the customary offerings to Muthappan. Muthappan Thiruvoppana Mahothsavam is the major festival of the temple, celebrated for three days every year on 19, 20 and 21 of Kumbham (the days correspond to 3, 4 and 5 March).

The legends of Muthappan

Thiruvappana or Valiya Muttapan(Vishnu) on left and the Vellatom or Cheriya Muttapan(Shiva) on right

Lord Śiva in the form of Bhairava accompanied by a dog.
A version of the legend of Ponnu Muthappan is narrated here: The King of Ancharamana Mannanar (Ayyankara Vazhunnor) of Eruvessi village and his wife,[8] Padikutty Amma, had no offspring. Padikutty was an ardent devotee of Shiva and when she found a baby floating in a basket of flowers in the river water when she was coming back after a bath in the river, she took it as the blessing of Lord Shiva, and so was her husband. The child grew up and in his boyhood, he was always for the benefit of downtrodden and poor people. However, to the agony of his family he practiced hunting, and also started eating flesh, which was not allowed for a Naduvazhi. Unable to bear the indictments from his family, the boy decided to leave home. When his mother attempted to stop him, he looked at her in fury and appeared in his original godly figure before the parent. She bowed down before her son. Nonetheless, she requested him to cover his eyes with a Poikannu, a type of shield for the eyes, since she was afraid that such a fiery look on another occasion may cause to emanate the cosmic force, Shakti, that could change the entire world. Wearing a shield on his eyes, he left the family, and passed through various villages in Malabar, such as Kunnathurpadi, Puralimala, Padavil, Thillenkeri, Kannapuram, Parassinikadavu and Valluvankadav.

The legend relates Muthappan with a tribal family for the divine boy started being called as “Muthappan”. Accordingly, when he reached a village called Kunnathurpadi, he got a tribalman, Chantan as his friend. One day, when he saw Chantan tapping toddy from Palm tree the boy asked for it but was denied. All of sudden, Chantan was cursed and became a stone. His wife prayed and offered to perform the rituals, Oottu, Tiruvappana and Amruthakalasam, to propitiate the boy in the month of Dhanu. The boy relented and gave her husband back. The Chantan family started to conduct pooja to propitiate the boy and they called him in the name: “Muthappan”.

However, according to another version of the legend Muthappan climbed the coconut tree and emptied the toddy jar in the absence of Chantan. When Chantan returned and saw Muthappan holding the jar, he was provoked and defied the latter. It was at this instant, Chantan was cursed.

The legend also describes a dog which always followed Muthappan throughout his journey. Hence, in the temple of Muthappan, dogs are considered divine and the temple entrance has an idol of dog, at both sides.