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Vayathur Temple Festival - Vayathur Kaliyar Shiva Temple Oottu Utsavam And Theyyam Festival

Vayathur Kaliyar Shiva Temple is located around 4 km north of Ulikkal in Kannur district, Kerala. The main festival in the temple is observed from Makara Sankramana for 14 days and is known as Ottu Utsavam. The Theyyam festival in the temple is observed from Dhanu Masam 16.

An important event during the festival is the transporting of rice on the backs of bullocks to the temple by members of the Mundyodan and Bahuryan families from Kodagu in Karnataka. The rice is an offering to Shiva who is worshipped as ‘Bythoorappa’ by the Kannada speaking Kodagu community.

Vayathur Temple Festival

Kodagu community performs the famous Thudi Kotti Pattu during the 14-day festival.

On the 11th day of the festival, ghee is brought from different parts of the region to perform neyyamritham – the ghee is poured on the murti of Shiva.

The festival attracts a large number of devotees from Kannur and from Kodagu.

Vayathur Temple Theyyam Festival

One of the rare Theyyams in Malabar, Neelakkali bhagavathi is performed at Vayathur Temple which begins on Dhanu 16 (usually begins on December 31)

Shiva and Goddess Parvati are worshipped as Kiradan and Kiradi in the temple. The deities are swayambhu and faces east.

The belief is that Shiva arrived here from Kattiyarmala in Codagu to give Pashupatastram to Arjuna.

The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Ganapathy, Bhoothathan, Ayyappan and Vettakkorumakan.

The temple is of great importance to people of Kodagu.

The temple had copper covering which was stolen by the army of Tipu Sultan.