https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sasthamcotta_Sree_Dharma_Sastha_TempleSasthamcotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple - Revision history2026-08-19T20:31:12ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sasthamcotta_Sree_Dharma_Sastha_Temple&diff=260595&oldid=prev->BattyBot: Moved See also above References per MOS:ORDER and other General fixes2021-05-31T22:18:53Z<p>Moved See also above References per <a href="/w/index.php?title=MOS:ORDER&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MOS:ORDER (page does not exist)">MOS:ORDER</a> and other <a href="https://en.bharatpedia.org/wiki/BP:AWB/GF" class="extiw" title="wp:AWB/GF">General fixes</a></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Hindu temple in Kerala, India}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}<br />
{{unreferenced|date=October 2010}}<br />
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[[File:Tmp1.jpg|upright=1.5|right|thumbnail|alt=Shri Dharma Sastha Temple.|Sasthamkotta temple: Shri Dharma Sastha Temple located at Sasthamkotta]]<br />
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'''Shri Dharma Sastha temple''' is a [[Hindu temple]] located at the village [[Sasthamkotta]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]. It is surrounded three sides by the largest fresh water lake of Kerala, [[Sasthamkotta lake]].<br />
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The temple here is well known for the inhabitance of monkeys. The temple monkeys are believed to be the divine retinue of the prime deity. The Sasthamcotta temple is one among the five ancient Sastha temples in Kerala - AchanKoil, Aryankavu, Kulathupuzha, Sasthamcotta and Sabarimala. The concept of Dharma Sastha represents the unison of [[Vaishnava]] and [[Saiva]] beliefs.<br />
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The presiding deity of the temple is Shri Dharma Sastha, accompanied by his consort ‘Prabha’ and son ‘Sathyaka’.<br />
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==Legend==<br />
The legend of this temple stretches beyond the period of the Ramayana ([[Treta Yuga]]). It is believed that Shri [[Rama]] along with his wife [[Sita]], brother [[Lakshmana]] and the whole vaanara sena, on their way back to [[Ayodhya]] after the victory over [[Ravana]], visited Sasthamcotta to pay their reverence to Shri Dharma Sastha. Shri Rama offered ''pithru tharpan'' on the banks of the Sasthamcotta Lake, the water of which is supposed to be identical to ''Surya Raga Theertha'' of Manasa Sarovar. Lord Rama then deputed the chief architect of his vanara (monkey) team, ''[[Neelan]]'' to serve his host. Neelan is believed to be the predecessor of the prevailing monkey clan in this temple.<br />
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==Festivals==<br />
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===Utsavam (annual festival)===<br />
The utsavam lasts for ten days. The flag is hoisted on the first day heralding the utsavam. The utsavam culminates with the ‘araattu’ on ‘Utram’ in the month of Kumbham (February–March). The tenth day hosts the ‘Kettukazhcha’—a procession of various effigies of bullocks, horses, decorated chariots, etc. -- A number of elephants with their nettipattam (decorative head-dress) also come to the temple to pay reverence to the prime deity, who sits atop a caparisoned elephant at the temple courtyard, escorted with many other decorated elephants.<br />
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===Religious Festivals===<br />
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* Thiruvonam<br />
* Navaratri<br />
* Mandala Mahotsav (41 days)<br />
* Makara Sankrama pooja<br />
* Sivaratri<br />
* Painkuni Utram<br />
* Pathamudayam<br />
* Karkidaka Vavu<br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[List of Hindu temples in Kerala]]<br />
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==References==<br />
* Kottarathil Shankunni (1909). "'''Itheehyamala'''", ''Sasthamcottayum Kuranganmarum''.<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* [http://www.sasthamcottatemple.com Sasthamcotta Shri Dharma Sastha Temple]<br />
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{{coord missing|Kerala}}<br />
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[[Category:Hindu temples in Kollam district]]</div>->BattyBot