Oorali Appooppan Kavu
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| Sree Kalleli Oorali Appooppan Kavu | |
|---|---|
 Devotees at the temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Pathanamthitta |
| Deity | Oorali Appooppan |
| Festival | Pathamudaya Mahotsavam |
| Governing body | Sree Kalleli Oorali Appooppan Kavu Samrakshana Samathi |
| Location | |
| Location | Kalleli |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
  Location in Kerala  Oorali Appooppan Kavu (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 9°11′34″N 76°54′12″E / 9.19278°N 76.90333°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
| Elevation | 173 m (568 ft) |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Oorali Appooppan Kavu is an ancient temple located on the banks of the Achankovil River in Kalleli in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India.[1] The temple is situated on the Kalleli–Achankovil forest route, 19 km (12 mi) from the district headquarters in Pathanamthitta and 9 km (5.6 mi) from Konni. The presiding deity of the temple is Oorali Appooppan, who is considered the lord of mountain gods.[2] The main festival of the temple is Pathamudayam, commencing on Vishu in the month of mēṭam in the Malayalam calendar.[1]
The temple follows the traditions and rituals of early Dravida–Naga tribes and is entirely different from the traditional tantric procedures and poojas held in regular Hindu temples.[3]
Deities
The main deities of the temple are Oorali Appooppan or Kalleli Appooppan and Oorali Ammoomma.[4] Appooppan is considered as the lord of 999 Mala Daivangal (mountain gods) and Ammoomma is considered to be his mother.[1]
The subordinate deities of the temple include Vadakkenchery Valyachan, Ganesha, Parashakti, Yakshiamma, Nagaraja, Nagayakshi, Raktharakshas, Kuttichathan, Kochukunju Arukala, Bharatha Poonkuravan, Bharatha Poonkurathi and Harinarayana Thampuran.[1][4]
Festivals
The main festival or Utsavam is the Pathamudaya Mahotsavam held in the Malayalam month of mēṭam (April–May).[4] The 10-day festival begins on Vishu and ends on Pathamudayam (10th sunrise after Vishu) with different pujas and rituals like Aditya Pongala.[1] Another special occasion is the Mandala–Makaravilakku festival, held from the Malayalam month of vr̥ścikam to makaram (mid-November to mid-January).[5]