'The Founding Fathers' - Legends About The Origin of Kingdom of Kottayam

This is a legend about origin of Puranattukara Swarupam, the lineage of Pazhassi Raja.

Once two ascetics did severe penance in forest close to what is now Manathana near Kottiyur. They were brothers and were Kshatriyas. At that time, this land was ruled by Kolathiri Raja. Kolathiri Raja had to face a serious invasion by a foreign power. Kolathiri faced constant defeats. His priests concluded that his defeat was due to loss of Kshatriya status of his lineage (Kolathiris are believed to be descendants of Kshatriyas who escaped wrath of Parashurama and concealed their Kshatriya-hood by swallowing their sacred thread).

But priests told Kolathiri about the Kshatriya ascetics from Manathana. They advised the Kolathiri to seek their help. Kolathiri sent a messenger to the hermitage. Elder ascetic asked younger ascetic to go and help the beleaguered Kolathiri. Younger of the ascetics went to meet Kolathiri with this messenger. Kolathiri received him with great hospitality and narrated his plight due to foreign invaders. His generals too were present. 

After listening to what Kolathiri had to say, the ascetic told him not to worry. Night had fallen by then and he asked them to go to sleep. Ascetic then went into military camp of Kolathiri and marked the foreheads of the best soldiers with lime. He then woke them up and asked them to guard the camp. He then mounted a horse whose forehead was also marked by lime. Then he rode into enemy camp.

Hearing the hoof beats of the horse, enemy troops woke up and stood to face the enemy. What they saw was a single man with a weapon they had not seen before. It was a spring sword or Urumi. The man was the ascetic. Enemy rushed towards the ascetic but he beheaded all of them using spring sword. He slaughtered twelve soldiers with a single stroke. Their heads fell but their bodies stood and jerked as blood gushed out like a fountain. Terrified, the rest of the enemy troops fled in panic. Ascetic pursued the defeated enemy. His eyes were on the enemy general. Ascetic killed enemy general at Mambaram in middle of Anjarakandi River. Ascetic scored a total victory over the enemy. 

It is believed that use of double edged and foldable spring sword or Urumi was innovated by ancestors of Kottayam Rajas. 

Then ascetic took rest under a tree. Soon Kolathiri came to meet him as he learnt of the news of this extraordinary victory. Kolathiri had come to invite ascetic to his palace on insistence of his mother and desired to give him a grand reception. But ascetic refused on the ground that he did what his brother had commanded him to do and that he will not accept reward for the fulfillment of sacred Kshatriya Dharma. But Kolathiri insisted that he ask for a gift. Finally, ascetic told Kolathiri that he be given the forest where his hermitage lay, as gift. Kolathiri gifted them the forest immediately.

But soon, Kolathiri regretted his decision. In the forest that he gifted, lay the great Shiva shrine of Kottiyur also renowned as Dakshina Kashi. He once more went back to the ascetic. Kolathiri told him that he did not intend to give Kottiyur to him and so requested him to exchange the gifted land with another chunk of land. To this ascetic replied that what was given in Daanam or religious charity cannot be given back or asked back as it would cause a serious violation of sacred law. Saying this he vanished. The area where ascetic got gift of land and from where he vanished is Mammakunnu (close to Dharmadam).

In order to rule the land he got, ascetic invited his relatives from his native country. They settled in Muzhakunnu on Puralimala and one of them got crowned through Ariyittuvazhcha ceremony presided by Pindali Nambeesan, a Brahman who taught Kalari Payatt and ceremony was completed after crowned monarch received a sword from Pindali Nambeesan.  This was the beginning of Puranattukara Swarupam, the royal lineage of Kottayam.

Harishchandra Perumal is considered as first monarch of Kottayam. He is believed to be the first to have introduced philosophy of Mimamsa into Kerala. Legend say that he became Perumal of all Kerala on request of Nambudiri Brahmins. Then he built a granite fort on Puralimala mountain. But soon forest deities started to travel through this fort. His subjects who were frightened by these super-natural beings, did not dare to visit Perumal at his abode in Puralimala. Harishchandra ruled for a long time. Country was prosperous and flourishing. He was deeply religious and humble as a person and believed in omnipotence of God. Then he vanished without a trace. Nobody knew what happened to him.  

Fort he built was known as Harishchandra Kota. During his war years, Pazhassi Raja made this this fort his headquarters. Ruins of this fort can be seen in Puralimala even today. At present it is a heap of granite boulders. A Shiva Linga cut out of granite can be seen there. Pazhassi Raja had regularly worshiped this Shiva Linga during his stay there.