Oachira Temple

Oachira Temple
	Oachira Parabrahma Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Kollam
Deity	It has no deity or idol but is dedicated to Parabrahma.
Festivals	Oachira Kali, Panthrandu Vilakku, Eruvathiyetam Onam
Location
Location	Oachira
State	Kerala
Country	India
	Location in Kerala
Geographic coordinates	9.1360°N 76.5102°E
Architecture
Type	It has no Sanctum Sanatorium.[1]
Creator	Velu Thampi Dalawa

Oachira Temple is an ancient temple located in Oachira in Kollam district in the South Indian state of Kerala. According to the Puranas, this temple is one of the famous sacred places of Kerala and India.[2] Oachira is on the border of Kollam and Allappuzha districts, next to the National Highway 47. This temple is known "DakshinaKashi"(SouthaKashi).This very ancient pilgrimage center is centered on the ParaBrahma temple (that is dedicated to the Para Brahman (or Param Brahman) or shiva or Ohmkaram, the Universal Consciousness), and covers thirty-six acres of land.

Every year the Oachira Vrischikam Festival is celebrated during December and January. Oachirakkali is a famous ritual performed here during June and it involves mock-fighting in muddy water by traditional martial art experts. And "Irupathattam onam" (28 days after Onam) is also celebrated. It is the festival of cattle. In this festival, huge "Eduppu kala" (gigantic idols of bull madeof cloth&hay) are made. They are then pulled on giant wheels to the Oachira Temple from the site where they are made. Normally there are around 50 such structures. It is the biggest festival in "Onattu Kara" which is an area of a few square miles. Oachirakkali was actually a war exercise performed annually by soldiers of Kayamkulam Raja. Nearby, about 108 Kalaries were in 52 karas up to the beginning of the 20th century. Soldiers belonging to the above Karas met together at Oachira in the Malayalam month of Mithuna every year and performed war-like exercises. This is what is called Oachirakkali.

Ward and Conner, two British officials entrusted to survey Travancore in the beginning of the 19th century, made their observations about Oachira in their report. In the report it was made clear that there was a very old and damaged pagoda on the eastern side of the Padanilam. It was also disclosed that there was a large reservoir at the center of the vast ground on which the temple stands, (which was now known as Kallukettuchira), and which is outside the temple compound today.

History of the place name "Oachira"

There are many beliefs as to why this place is called Oachira. Some people believe that the place name came from the word Omkarachira and some others believe that the name is originated from the name Oymanchira. Also there are strong beliefs that the name derived from Uvachanchira as Uvachan means Lord Siva as per belief. All these assumptions are based on myths.

The real reason for arriving at the name of Oachira is possibly different. For that, we should understand the observations made by the two British officials, Ward and Conner, who conducted a survey in the erstwhile Travancore during the beginning of the 19th century. In their survey report, it was mentioned that there was a large reservoir at the center of the large ground called Padanilam. This reservoir (tank/pond/chira) was at the center of the Padanilam. This chira was used by the soldiers in olden days for bathing and for supplying water to the horses used in the war exercises. This chira might have been known in olden days as Onattuchira, as the place belonged to the Kayamkulam Raja who was also called the Odanattu Raja or simply Onattu Rajah. The Headquarters of Kayamkulam Raja was at that time at Krishnapuram, very near to the Padanilam (which is hardly 1 km away from Oachira). So it is believed that the word Onattuchira was gradually accepted as the place name and as time passed by further, that word was corrupted into Oachira. This is quite a plausible explanation as there are so many examples in known history about the transformation of place names.

The Oachira Temple is unique in the sense that it does not have covered structures for temples. People worship the Para Brahma (the original formless power lord shiva) under neatly preserved trees.

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References

The Indian Encyclopaedia: Kamli-Kyouk Phyu edited by Subodh Kapoor Page 4046
Fairs and Festivals

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[1] The Indian Encyclopaedia: Kamli-Kyouk Phyu edited by Subodh Kapoor Page 4046

[2] Fairs and Festivals

Hindu temples in Kerala
Alappuzha	Kurattikadu Mutharamman Devi Temple Mannar Thrikkuratti Mahadeva Temple Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Manakkattu Devi Temple, Pallippad, Harippad Chakkulathukavu Chammanad Devi Cherthala Devi Chettikulangara Devi Evoor Major Sri krishnaswamy temple Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple Kandiyoor Sree Mahadeva Temple Kuttikattu Sree Bhadra Kali Devi Mannarasala Mullakkal Nalpathaneeswaram Sree Mahadeva Padanilam Parabrahma Temple Pattambalam Valiyakulangara Devi
Ernakulam	Cherai Gowreeshwara Dakshina Mookambika Temple North Paravur Chottanikkara Eravikulangara Iringole Kavu Kalamassery Mahaganapathy Kurumbakkavu Bhagavathy Panekavu Bhagavati Shastha Sree Bhavaneeswara Sree Poornathrayesa Sree Venugopala Thamaramkulangara Sree Dharma Sastha Thrikkakara Temple Thrikkara Temple Thiru Nayathode Siva Narayana Temple
Idukki	Sri Siddhi Vinayakar
Kannur	Andalur kavu Sree Vadeswaram Azhikode Palottukavu Chenankavu Chala Bhagavathi Sree Annapoorneswari Sree Chovva Shiva Temple Edappara Chamundi Hanumarambalam Sree Jagannathan Kadalayi Kandanthalli Keecheri Palottukavu Keezhur Mahadeva Kottiyoor Vadakkeshwaram Kunnathoor Padi Madayi Kavu Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy Temple Vadukunda Mamanathambalam Manakulangara Mariamman Koil, Pilakool Mavilakkavu Mookambika Temple Muneeswaran Kovil Oorpazhachi Kavu Padavil Sree Muthappan Panoonneri Shiva Parassinikkadavu Muthappan Payyannur Sree Subramanyaswamy Temple Peralasseri Sree Subramaniaswamy Temple Pillayar Koil Neeliyaarkottam Rajarajeshwara Temple Sree Andalurkavu Tiruvangad Talap Ambalam Trichambaram Thrikkapalam Shiva Valluvan Kadav Sree Muthapan Vasudevapuram Tavanur Places of worship in Kannur district
Kasaragod	Ananthapura Lake Kanila Shree Bhagavathi Madhur Trikaripur Chakrapani Sri Gopalakrishna Temple Kumble
Kollam	Ammachiveedu Muhurthi Anandavalleeshwaram Sri Mahadevar Temple Ashram Sree krishna Swamy Kadakkal Devi Kodimoottil Sri Bhadrakaali Kottankulangara Devi Temple Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Kshethram Kottarakkulam Sree Mahaganapathy Kovil, Kollam Oachira Parabrahma Temple Panakkattodil Devi Temple Poruvazhy Peruviruthy Malanada Temple Pulimukham Devi Temple Paravur Puttingal Devi Temple Sasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple Sree Indilayappan Sree Maha Ganapathy Vayalil Thrikkovil Mahavishnu
Kottayam	Vaikom ThiruVazhappally Sree Mahadevar Ettumanoor Mahadevar Thirunakkara Sree Mahadevar Temple Kidangoor Subramanya Temple Chirakkadavu Sree Mahadevar Kaduthruthy Mahadeva Temple Neendoor Subrahmanya Swami Temple Perunna Subrahmanya Swami Kavinpuram Devi Morkulangara Devi Kadamuri Narasimhaswamy Temple, Kadamuri Moozhayil Sankaranarayana Temple Anicad Kodungoor Devi Temple Elamgulam Sree Dharma Shastha Temple Anicad Sree Bhagavathi Temple Pullattukunnel Temple, Elamgulam Nethalloor Devi Panachikkadu Paippad Puthenkavu Bhagavathi Pundareekapuram Thrippakudam Puthiyakavu Devi Temple
Kozhikode	Azhakodi Devi Lokanarkavu Pisharikavu Valayanad Devi
Malappuram	Alathiyur Hanuman Kadampuzha Devi Kadampuzha Bhagavathy Sree Rama Thirumanthamkunnu Thirunavaya Thrikkavu
Palakkad	Brahmeeswaran Chinakkathoor Karimpuzha Sree Ramaswamy Killikkurussimangalam Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Manapullikavu Malamakkavu Ayyappa Temple Meenkulathi Sri Nellikulangara Bhagavathi Thirupuraikkal Valliya Aarattu – Karnaki Amman Vayilyamkunnu Bhagavathi Viswanatha Swam Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple
Pathanamthitta	Aranmula Parthasarathy anikkattilammakshethram Gurunathanmukadi Kaviyoor Mahadevar Mahadeva Mezhuveli Muringamangalam Sreemahadevar Panayannarkavu Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi Rektha Kanda Swamy Sabarimala Sree Bhuvaneswary Sree Vallabha Sreenarayanapuram Sri Chirakkakavu Bhagavthi Thazhoor Bhagavathy Kshetram Thrikkovil Sree Padmanabha Swami Kshetram Thrippara Shiva Kshetram Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Valiyakoikkal
Thiruvananthapuram	Attukal Avanavanchery Sri Indilayappan Edava Palakkavu Bhagavathi temple Irumkulangara Durga Devi Janardanaswamy Kappil Bhagavathy Mannanthala Anandavaleeswaram Padmanabhaswamy Sarkaradevi Sivagiri Sarada Mutt Sreekanteswaram Thaliyadichapuram Sree Mahadeva Vellayani Devi Temple Venkatachalapathy
Thrissur	Arattupuzha Temple Ammathiruvadi Temple Avanangattilkalari Vishnumaya Temple Annamanada Mahadeva Temple Chembukkavu Bhagavathy Temple Chemmanthatta Mahadeva Temple Chiravarampathukavu Bhagavathi Temple Choorakkottukavu Bhagavathy Temple Guruvayur Temple Ivor Madom Kanimangalam Sastha Temple Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple Koodalmanikyam Temple Kootumuchikal amma Kottekkad Temple Kuttankulangara Sri Krishna Temple Kuttumuck Siva Temple Laloor Bhagavathy Temple Mammiyoor Temple Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple Muthuvara Mahadeva Temple Pallimanna Siva Temple Panamukkumpally Sastha Temple Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple Poonkunnam Siva Temple Punkunnam Seetha Ramaswamy Temple Shatrughna Temple Shree Rama Temple Sree Maheswara Temple Sringapuram Mahadeva Temple Thanikkudam Bhagavathi Temple Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple Thiruvanchikulam Temple Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple Thottipal Bhagavati Trikkur Mahadeva Vadakkunnathan Vailikulangara Bhagavathi Temple Vilwadrinatha Temple Peruvanam Mahadeva Temple Mathur Shiva Temple
Wayanad	Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram Thirunelli Valliyoorkkavu

Oachira Temple

History of the place name "Oachira"

See also

References