Kerala Temples

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The members of the Nayar Tharavadu known as Ponmileri Koroth House now lives in amsam of Paduvilayi near Ancharakandi. They belong to the class of Paduvilans. There is a very interesting story told to show how they came to be known by the name of Paduvilans. At the time of the famous Cheraman Perumal, a member of this family was serving them as a faithful karyasthan. One day when Cheruman Perumal was out for a walk, he forgot to take his sword, which was kept in his bedchamber.

The young Nayar gentlemen when he entered the bedroom found that the wife of the Perumal occupied it. He asked this lady for the sword. When she, who was enamored of him, requested him to satisfy her longings. As he was very faithful to his lord he stoutly refused her request, whereupon she became angry made wounds on her person herself and began to raise a hue and cry. Cheruman Perumal on finding that his karyasthan had not returned evan after a long time, returned to his house when he was told by his wife that this karyasthan had approached her with evil requests and that when he refused to comply with his desires he had made wounds on her person. Perumal on finding the marks on her body was satisfied with the story and without taking the trouble of knowing the truth of the affair sentenced this Nayar to death by the sword. As his head was being severed from the body by the sword a voice was heard to exclaim " the Perumal who easily believes a women's story go to Mecca and be a mohemmadian" (Penncholu ketta perumaale makkathu poyi thopiyitto).

The family of this Nayar was thereafter known as the family of vaduvilla nayar(Nayar without stain), which by corruption became Paduvillan Nayar. Three sisters of this family whi were the children of a prince came and settled in the amsam of Paduvilayi and became the ancestors of the three Paduvilan families - Chandrothu, Arayedathu, Koroth. The ancestral of these sisters before they came to Paduvilayi was supposed to be in a place north of Ancharakandy as they settled in Paduvilayi they began to acquire large property. Their family God "deivathar" was also given a place in Paduvilayi. They set apart separate property for conducting religious ceremonies connected with the "deivathar" temple and constituted the members as uralans of the temple. After a time a female member of the original family who came there and was given a hand in the management of the temple by the sisters. The members of the family descended from her are known as koderi people. Thus there were originally four uralans in the temple who belong to Chandrothu, Aryedathu. Koderi, Ponmileri Koroth(killyatt). Off these uralans, the members of the first two, Chandrothu and Aryedathu multiplied very much and separated themselves subsequently into four families.

The four families gradually obtained for themselves a hand in temple management. Hence at present time there are six uralans for this temple. That the above-mentioned four families had originally only half the right of management can be known by the fact that they together have now only half the responsibility of conducting certain religious ceremonies connected with the temple. The members of the Ponmileri Koroth House before they settled on Ponmileri Koroth, resided in Killiyatt house(now extinct) in the same amsam. There were originally two killiyatt houses - one valia and the other cheria. In the velia Killiyatt house, that karanavans of the house lived and when they died were cremated in the paramba belonging to it. In the cheria killiyatt house the other members of the family lived and when they died were cremated in the paramba attached to it. Evan at the present time the members of the family are being cremated an the killiyatt paramba according to the ancient system. The earliest karnavar (known) of the Ponmileri Koroth House was one known by the name of 'Nambiar'. The title Nambiar according to reports strung to him as he obtained the honor from the Rajah of Kottayam by accepting what is called bhumika. He was a man very much honoured in those days and it was reported that evan the reigning monarch of the time, Kottayam Rajah had great regard towards him. His son was one famous Panniyotan Rairu who was on enmical terms with the Kottayam Rajah. Panniyotan Rairu on finding that his desire of obtaining the title 'Nambiar' would not be granted by the Rajah, requested his father to see the Rajah and ascertain for certain whether this object will be gained or not. The Kottayam Rajah on seeing 'Nambiar' offering him his respect did not talk to him for a long time whereupon 'Nambiar' got enraged and treated the Rajah like an ordinary man and began to talk to him disrespectfully. The Rajah at once seeing that he will be shown respect only in case he treated his subjects with the regard due to their position, forgot his enimity towards the Nambiar and his son and granted the latter his request. The wife of Nambiar was equally famous as his son.

This women ostracized a family called Kayakkool for the simple reason that the karanavar of the house happened to speak despairingly of her and her maids as she entered his house as a guest. The words he is reported to have spoken was that - Panniyot amma and her maids alone are sufficient to exhaust the large quantity of rice that was prepared for the occasion. The above family evan now remains ostracized by their fellow caste men. Besides the above lady, Nambiar had two other wives one a marayan woman and the other a lady of good Nayar caste in Kallayi. The name of the karnavar who succeded Nambiar was 'Dhar', probably a corruption of Ramar. He was very influential man at that time. Once a servant of the above karnavar chastised some Muhammedans of the Varijattan house in Vengode with the result that they mercilessly cut him to pieces and scattered through out the paddy fields of the place, his remains. His master Dhar on hearing the news went with large number of his followers to Vengode and butchered all members of the Vanniathan Muhammadhan house except the small female child whom he saved as her father threw her at his feet and craved for mercy. Ponmileri koroth house was build by this gentle man. As money was spend lavishly on the building the work men who were given large presents blessed this house and said that it would never be burnt except if one of their caste(carpentor) happened to be in it. After the death of Dhar, there was no male member to look after the affairs of Ponmileri Koroth house.

There were only a female member and her daughter(a small child) in that house. For a short period the affairs of the family was managed by a member of the Kandoth house who was the son of Ponmileri Koroth Nambiar. As the above Kandoth Nambiar was not able to live permanently in Koroth House, he asked the female member of the Koroth house to adopt Pazhaya Veetil Chandu Nambiar a distant relation of hers. He was consequently adopted as a member of Ponmileri Koroth family.

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