Panniyoor Varaha Moorthy Temple Kumbidi Palakkad

It is believed to be the first temple in Kerala to have been consecrated by Lord Parashurama. The temple is dedicated to Lord Varaha, the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu, depicted here along with Goddess Bhumi (Mother Earth). It is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshetrams revered in the Vaishnavite tradition. According to legend, after defeating the Kshatriyas, Parashurama donated all his conquests to Sage Kashyapa.

Seeking a place for meditation, he retrieved a piece of land from the ocean, which is believed to have formed part of what is now Kerala. As the land began to rise and expand unexpectedly, Parashurama sought guidance from Sage Narada. Narada advised him to worship Lord Vishnu. Parashurama then began intense meditation to propitiate the Lord. Eventually, Vishnu appeared before Parashurama and said, “Once I took the form of Varahamurthy to save the world. Worship that form of mine, and this place will be blessed by the divine presence of the Trimurti.”

Following this divine instruction, Parashurama established the temple of Sri Varahamurthy at that very spot, approximately 4000 years ago. For nearly 3000 years after its consecration, the Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple was regarded as one of the most prominent and sacred temples in Kerala.
It is also believed that for nearly 1300 years—spanning from around 800 BC, during the time when the Brahmanas ruled Kerala, to approximately 600 AD, toward the end of the Perumakkal rule—Sri Varaha Murthy, the presiding deity of the revered village of Panniyur, was worshipped as the supreme god of Kerala.

Recent discoveries of stone inscriptions at Panniyur provide further evidence of the temple's significance. These inscriptions mention an active organization called ‘Panniyuraayiram’ that existed about 1200 years ago. As the name suggests, this organization consisted of 1,000 members who were dedicated to managing and performing the cultural and religious functions of the temple. This points to the immense importance and influence the temple held during that era.

After the tragic death of his beloved son—a loss he blamed on himself—the legendary master carpenter Perumthachan, burdened with grief and mental turmoil, wandered aimlessly until he reached the revered Panniyur Mahakshetram. Exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, he sought some relief from a group of carpenters who were then engaged in renovation work at the temple. However, they failed to recognize the great master in their midst. Mistaking him for just another weary traveler, they ignored him completely and went off for their lunch without even acknowledging his presence. Shocked and hurt by their disrespect, Perumthachan quietly decided to teach them a lesson.

Entering the sanctum sanctorum, he found several blocks of wood that were prepared to be shaped into columns. Silently, he made precise markings on the wood and left the temple without saying a word. When the workers returned and began cutting the wood along the marked lines, they were horrified to discover that every single column ended up slightly too short. It was only then that they realized the truth—the man they had ignored was none other than Perumthachan, the master of their craft. Filled with guilt and fear for their careers, they resolved to find him the next day and ask for his forgiveness. That night, they were startled awake by the sound of hammering and chiseling from within the sanctum.

Rushing in, they saw the old man—Perumthachan—finishing the final touches on the work they had left incomplete. Stunned by his skill and generosity, they begged him for forgiveness, saying: “Oh Master! So many of us earn our livelihood through this temple’s work. Now that you’ve finished everything, we’ll be left without any work.” Perumthachan smiled and replied: “Do not worry, friends. The Panniyur temple will never be without work for carpenters like us. But as for me—I shall never again touch my chisel and measuring rod.” With that, he laid down his chisel and measuring rod—tools that have since been preserved with reverence at the Panniyur Mahakshetram, where they remain on display to this day as a tribute to the great master.

Among the 32 traditional Gramams (Brahmin settlements) of the Namboothiris, Panniyur and Sukapuram stood out as the most influential. Leadership of these two dominant centers rested with the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal for Sukapuram and the Kalpakanchery Thamprakkal for Panniyur. Every Malayali Brahmin aligned themselves with either one of these two factions, creating a landscape of rivalry—at times intense and unhealthy—between the two Gramams. In an effort to challenge the scholarly supremacy of Sukapuram, a few Namboothiris of Panniyur went beyond the borders of Kerala and brought in a new Guru to the land of Lord Varaha. Over time, they are believed to have begun worshipping Goddess Varthali and secretly adopted certain esoteric Tantric Buddhist practices—acts that went against the sacred instructions of Lord Varaha himself.

In a tragic and sacrilegious culmination of their transgressions, the idol of Lord Varaha was said to have been desecrated and destroyed by fire. This defiance led to a dramatic fall from grace. The Zamorin, the ruling monarch, took stern action and reduced the status of the Panniyur Namboothiris. What was once a center of great Vedic learning and spiritual power lost its prominence and faded into relative obscurity. However, a spiritual revival has been taking shape.

According to Devaprashnams (astrological temple rituals) conducted since 1983, it has been revealed that within two future cycles of Saturn (approximately 60 years), the Panniyur Sri Varahamurthy Temple will once again rise to prominence, standing alongside revered pilgrimage sites such as Guruvayur and Sabarimala. It is believed that Lord Varahamurthy has reincarnated within this temple to shower his blessings upon all who seek him. Numerous devotees have shared their personal experiences of divine intervention, guidance, and miracles upon visiting the temple. It is said that those who offer sincere prayers to Sri Varahamurthy will be blessed with “Abhishta Karya Siddhi”—the successful fulfillment of heartfelt desires. With word of these divine blessings spreading, the number of devotees is steadily increasing day by day.

പന്നിയൂർ വരാഹമൂർത്തി ക്ഷേത്രം

പാലക്കാട് ജില്ലയിലെ പട്ടാമ്പി താലൂക്കിലെ തൃത്താല ബ്ലോക്കിൽ ആനക്കര ഗ്രാമപഞ്ചായതിലുളള പന്നിയൂർ എന്ന ഗ്രാമത്തിലാണ്‌ ആദി വൈഷ്ണവക്ഷേത്രമായ ശ്രീ വരാഹമൂർത്തി ക്ഷേത്രം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നത്. ഏകദേശം 4000 വർഷം പഴക്കമുള്ളതാണെന്ന് ഐതിഹ്യങ്ങളിലുണ്ട്. ഇത് പരശുരാമൻ നിർമ്മിച്ചതായാണ് വിശ്വാസം. പിന്നീട് ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം പുതുക്കിപ്പണിതത് പന്തിരുകുലത്തിലെ പ്രസിദ്ധനായ തച്ചനും മഹാനുമായ ഉളിയന്നൂർ പെരുന്തച്ചനാണ്. അദ്ദേഹം നിർമ്മിച്ച അവസാനത്തെ ക്ഷേത്രമായതിന്റെ പ്രത്യേകതയും ഈ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിനുണ്ട്. പട്ടാമ്പിയിൽ നിന്നും കുറ്റിപ്പുറത്തേക്ക് (എം.ഇ.എസ്. എൻജിനിയറിംഗ് കോളേജിനു മുമ്പിലൂടെ) പോകുന്ന റോഡിൽ വെള്ളിയാങ്കല്ല് റെഗുലേറ്റർ വഴി തൃത്താല വഴി പോകുമ്പോൾ കുമ്പിടി എന്ന ചെറിയ ഗ്രാമത്തിലെ കവലയിലാണ് ഈ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് വഴിയുള്ളത്.

ആ കവലയിൽ നിന്ന് ഏകദേശം 500 മീറ്റർ അകത്തേക്ക് നീങ്ങുമ്പോൾ പന്നിയൂർ എന്ന ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ ക്ഷേത്രം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു. പട്ടാമ്പിയിൽ നിന്ന് ഇവിടെവരെ ഏകദേശം 17 കിലോമീറ്ററോളം ദൂരമുണ്ട്. ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ പ്രധാന പ്രതിഷ്ഠ ഭൂമിദേവിയോടൊപ്പം നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ശ്രീ വരാഹമൂർത്തിയാണു്. ദർശനദിശ കിഴക്കോട്ട് ആണ്. കൂടാതെ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ഗണപതി, ശിവൻ, അയ്യപ്പൻ, ഭഗവതി, സുബ്രഹ്മണ്യൻ, ലക്ഷ്മിനാരായണൻ തുടങ്ങിയ ഉപദേവതകളുടെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠകളും ഉണ്ട്. ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം ചരിത്രപരമായി കോഴിക്കോട്ടുള്ള സാമൂതിരിയുടെ കീഴിലായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് രേഖകളിലുണ്ട്.

കഴിഞ്ഞകാലത്ത് വളരെ വിപുലമായ ഒരു കൂത്തമ്പലമുള്ളത്, ഇന്ന് അതിന്റെ അവശിഷ്ടങ്ങൾ ക്ഷേത്രംപ്രദേശത്ത് കാണാനാകും. ഈ ചരിത്രപരവും ദൈവികവുമായ ക്ഷേത്രം ഭക്തജനങ്ങൾക്ക് ആകർഷണമായിരിക്കുകയാണ്. എൻ.എച്ച്. 17 ലെ തൃക്കണ്ണാപുരത്ത് നിന്നും കുമ്പിടി വഴിയായി 3.6 കിലോമീറ്റർ പോകുമ്പോഴും, അപ്പോൾ കുമ്പിടിയിൽ നിന്ന് ആനക്കര ദിശയിലായി 1 കിലോമീറ്റർ കൂടി മുന്നോട്ട് പോയാൽ പന്നിയൂർ വരാഹമൂർത്തി ക്ഷേത്രം എത്താനാകും. പട്ടാമ്പിയിൽ നിന്ന് തൃത്താല–കുമ്പിടി റോഡ് വഴി ഏകദേശം 12 കിലോമീറ്റർ യാത്ര ചെയ്താലും ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് എത്താവുന്നതാണ്.

Address:
Panniyur Varahamurthi Temple,
Panniyur Road,
Kumbidi,
Kerala 679551