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Payammal Sathrughna Temple Festival – Payammal Temple History

Payammal Shatrughna temple is located at Aripalam around 6 km from Vellangallur on Irinjalakuda – Kodungallur route in Thrissur district, Kerala. The five day long temple festival at Payammal Shatrughan temple starts on Pooyam nakshatra in Kumbham month. On Makayiram nakshatra in medam month, the prathishta dinam is observed. Karkidakam masam is observed as Ramayana Masam.

The shrine is dedicated to Shatrughna, brother of Sri Rama in Ramayana. The murti is nearly 3.5 feet tall and it faces west. The murti has four hands – chatur bahu vigraham.

The upa devata worshipped in the temple is Ganapathy. His place is on the wall of the sreekovil. There is the presence of Hanuman in the mugha mandapam.

Vakkayil Kaimal got the vigraham from seashore – he had got three four vagrahams of the four brothers in the Ramayana.

This was a mahakshetram and many parts of it including anapallamathil were purposefully destroyed by Tipu Sultan. To save the original Panchaloha murti (five metals - Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold and Silver), it was thrown in the pond and it has not been retrieved.

The temple belonged to five illams including Payammal. After puna prathishta the shrine became that of Nedumpally Tharananellur Mana. The temple is now maintained and administered by Shatrughna Seva Samiti.

Payammal temple along with Triprayar, Kudal Manikkam, Muzhikulam temples are part of the Nalambalam darshanam in Ramayana masam in Kerala. 

There are three main poojas - Usha pooja, Utcha pooja and Athazha pooja - in a day. The temple opens for darshan at 5:30 AM in the morning closes the door by 10:30 AM after Utcha pooja. The evening puja is from 5:30 PM and remains open for darshan for Deeparadhana and Athazha pooja and closes at 7:30 PM.

A lamp is lighted behind the Shatrughna idol inside the Sreekovil. It is believed that this lamp or Pinvilakku is for Sruthakeerthi, the wife of Shatrughna. 

Sudarshana Pushpanjali and submission of Sudarshana Chakram in the temple blesses a devotee with peace and prosperity.