Aloor, Pattithara

Aloor is a growing village which is situated between Thrithala and Padinjarangadi towns in Pattithara grama panchayath, Palakkad district, Kerala. The village is the finest example of a Palakkadan village with abundant rice fields on the bank of Bharatappuzha and with rich cultural and religious heritage. Chamundikkavu Temple has been the center of Aloor for more than a thousand years. Aloor Pooram is the largest festival and gathering of Aloor.

Bharathapuzha, the second longest river in Kerala flows through the north of Aloor and creates huge paddy fields in the east. It is an agrarian village with paddy as a major crop.

Aloor and other places in Pattithara have very high legal and illegal quarrying operations and pose a serious environmental threat to the village. Even though quarry mines generate revenues by providing employment opportunities, it is affecting biodiversity and disrupting natural habitats. Some quarries are operating without information from local self-government authorities.

Chamundikkavu Temple

Chamundikkavu Temple (Chamminikavu) is believed to have existed for more than 1000 years and is a major temple in Aloor town. The exact date or year of consecration is still unknown. Some believe that the temple is related to Pakkanar, one of the children of Parayipetta Panthirukulam. It comes under the Malabar Devoswam Board. Chamundikkavu Temple is well known for its protection of pregnancy and childbirth. Many devotees and pregnant women visit here to pay special offerings to protect their childbirth. Eettillathamma in which Eettillam means birthroom and Amma means Devi, is a very rare temple in Kerala where many from different parts of Kerala and even other states visit to offer a pooja called “Ariyideekkal” when they reach the seventh month of pregnancy. There are three deities in Sreekovil ( temple sanctum ) despite a single deity in many temples. Chamundeswari, Durga, and Vanadurga deities have been consecrated in sreekovil.

Aloor Pooram along with fireworks and Kalavela attracted thousands of devotees from many paces. Pooram is held in the month of Malayalam month of Kumbham. Fireworks have now minimalized after a tragedy in 1998 that killed 10 people.