5/5 Dinesh N. 2 years ago on Google
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.
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
Ohmkaram,
the
Universal
Consciousness),
and
covers
thirty-six
acres
of
land.
Every
year
the
Oachira
Vrischikam
Festival
is
celebrated
during
December
and
January.
Oachirakali
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
made
of
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
of
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
temple
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.
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