Kanimangalam Sastha Temple

Datable to ancient period, the legend says that the temple belonged to a Namboothiri settlement and when their lineage extinct, its administration was taken over by Maliyekkal Karthas who were local chieftains of Aaranattukara. The deity of the temple participates in Thrissur-Pooram. The important thing is that this deity is one of the two shasthas which participate in the festival, the other being Sree Panamukkambilli Shastha. An interesting feature is that Sree Kanimangalam Shastha is considered very delicate and hence He does not like to be exposed to mist and sun. Therefore, the procession of the deity to Thrissur- Pooram is held by sunrise and the return to the temple by 8-30 AM. The night procession is at 8 PM. and the return is by 9 PM. The deity is also considered as deva guru Brihaspati. The temple was taken over by the Cochin Devaswam Board and a Local Committee manages the temple. The Secretary of the committee attends to the day-to-day affairs of the temple.

The details of land owned by the temple earlier are not known. At present the temple owns about 18 cents of land which constitute the temple complex. The structures thereon are Sreekovil, sub-shrines, valiyambalam, thidappali, well, deepastambham and tank.

The rectangular eka-tala sreekovil of nirandharan type and facing west has granite adhishthaanam with mouldings of paadukam, jagathi, vritta-kumudam, utharam with Vaajana-motif, galam with projection, gala-padi, galam, gala-padi and valaru. The sopanam has three direct steps. The pranaalam has makara-simha base with multi-faceted sundu and go mukha end. The walls are made of laterite stones and have three ghanadwaaras and a functional door. The roof is tiled. There is a sub-shrine of Lord Ganapati, facing west, at the southern side. The well is at northeast of the akathe-balivattam. There is only a valiyambalam. The thidappali is at
southeast. A sila-deepastambham is seen installed at its front. There is a tank also for the temple.

There are some wood carvings on the sreekovil.

The Sila idol of Lord Shastha is of sitting pose with folded legs, with lotus in the right hand and the left hand resting on the left knee. The Lord is beloved to be in a meditation. The sila idol of Lord Ganapati is also of sitting pose .

The temple is kept open from 6 AM to 8 AM and from 5-30 PM to 7 PM Two poojas are done daily, Usha-pooja at 7 AM. and Athazha- pooja at 7 PM.

Sharkara-payasam, pushpanjali and chandanam-charthu are the important vazhipadu of which the first one is more popular.

The pradishta day is observed on Makiryam nakshatram of Meenam. The main festival is the eight-day festival in connection
with Thrissur Pooram. Kanimangalam Shashtha also participate Sivarathri day ezhunnellippu at the Sree Vadakkumnathan temple

There is a specific order for the participants in the Thrissur Pooram festival starting with Kanimangalam, Chembookaav, Panamukkambilli, Karamukku, Choorakkottukavu, Laloor, Ayyanthol, Naithilakkavu, Thiruvambady, and finally Paramekkavu. As noted above Kanimangalam is the first participant.

The Kodiyettam is performed on Makiryam nakshatram of Medam after making a temporary dhwajam after the deeparadhana. After the Kodiyettam, Shastha is taken out accompanied by paani and pooram purappadu is carried out with a short adantha melam. Navakam, sreebhoothabali is carried out daily till the pooram day. Daily sreebhoothabali is done without the accompaniment of elephant. On Pooram nakshatram, after navakam, pancha-gavyam, sreebhoothabali, Shashtha proceeds for the pooram by 5 AM with one caparisoned tusker and passes through Kanimangalam, Koorkkancheri, Kokkala, Chettiyangati etc. and reaches Kulasshery Lakshmi Narasimha temple. 

After irakki ezhunnellippu it proceeds to Manikandan aal with five elephants accompanied by tripuda melam. From the swaraj round accompanied by nine elephants the procession then enters through southern gopuram and comes out through western gopuram and reaches the Sreemoolasthanam accompanied by Pandi-melam. By 9 AM Shashtha returns to Kulasshery temple and rests there. In the evening at 7 PM again proceed to naduvil aal with five elephants and panchavadyam and then proceeds to the Nilapadu thara and after a pradakshina returns to Kanimangalam temple by 10 PM. On the Uthram nakshatram day at 2 PM. the deity visits Sree Bhagavathi of Valiyalukkal and on return from there aarattu is held at the temple tank followed by kodikkal-pooram and kodi-irakkam. Usually aarattu is not performed for Shashtas participating in either Thrissur or Peruvanam-Arattupuzha poorams, but Kanimangalam is an exception.

Details of the thantri who installed the idol are not known. The present thantri belongs to Puliyannoor mana of Elavalli. The hereditary Shantikkaran belongs to Muntarappilli mana. The other staff includes part-time adichu-tali

Situated five km. south of Thrissur at Valiyalukkal junction on Kodungalloor road and thence 600 m. southeast, the temple is connected by tarred road up to Valiyalukkal and earthen road thereafter.