Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple

Muthappan Temple Parassinikadavu, Situated on the banks of the Valapattanam river, 20 km away from Kannur, this beautiful temple is dedicated to Muthappan, a blended deity of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The history to the background of the deity is a baby in a basket floating on the river is found by a Brahmin lady Padikutty, who was longing for a child. She considered that child as a blessing of the Lord Shiva and nurtured the baby as her own. Padikutty and her husband were the landlords of that region and called as Naduvazhi Ayyankaras. As the boy grew up, he turned out to be a hunter helping the poor and the needy.

Though he was taught of Brahmin practises, to their agony, he started eating fishes which was completely against the Brahmin norms. He was not ready to listen to them and he was forced several times. Unable to hear the words of his parents, he one day showed up his fierce form, making them realize that he is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The boy left his house into the forest to reach a tribal family. He was then named as Muthappan by the tribes and worshipped. Another significance is that here dogs are considered sacred. One can find a lot of dogs roaming here freely. Two carved bronze dogs at the entrance of the temple vindicate this fact acting as bodyguards to the lord. This is the only temple in Kerala where the traditional folk art form of North Kerala ‘Theyyam’ is enacted daily. Also, dry fish and toddy are given as offerings to the lord here.