Thirunellayi - 100 Agraharams Project

Описание: Thirunellayi - 100 Agraharams Project

Agraharam 90 in the 100 Agraharams Project

Thirunellayi finds mention among the 18 original gramams of Palghat in Logan’s Malabar Manual, attesting to its antiquity. One of its most illustrious sons, Sri Thirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, left an indelible mark on India through his electoral reforms. He once quipped that Palakkadans came in many varieties — Vedic scholars, Carnatic musicians, cooks, crooks, and civil servants.

In the wake of repeated persecution by the sultanates, Brahmin communities moved westward through the Palghat Pass and settled along the many arms of the Bharathapuzha. Of the nearly hundred such settlements that exist today, Pallipuram and Thirunellayi are the only Vaishnavaite agraharams.

My great-grandfather, Sri Kasturi Ranganatha Bhattar, was among the early Vaishnavite settlers of Pallipuram. His lineage traces back to Nachiyar Koil — a quiet testimony to roots that run deep in devotion and tradition.

Jayashanker's book gives the brief history of the temple here:

"Datable to the eighteenth century, at the western end of the Tiruvilla gramam (meaning gramam without any curve) there was an ancient temple. In course of time it was neglected and hence it lost its ancient glory. Years later when an agricultural labourer was sharpening his hatchet on a granite stone, blood oozed out. Seeing this strange phenomenon he reported the matter to the gramakkars. They conducted a prasna which revealed that the sila had powers of Lord Sasta with His consorts Poorna and Pushkala. It was also revealed that the moola-sthanam of the newly found idol was the ancient and neglected temple located on the western side of the gramam. They immediately conducted initial rites to the new swayambhoo idol and later built a temple. In course of time this temple got greater importance than the ancient temple. - After the implementation of the Land Reforms Act the temple lost its properties and there was difficulty to manage the temple affairs. Therefore in 1969 the Gramajana Samooham took over its control and they manage both temples."

Radhe Krishna!
Warm regards,
Sriram (Hari) Trustee, Rama Bhagavatar Charitable Trust +91 9840773410

100 Agraharams Project
Itihasapurana Project
11 July 2025