Vettakkorumakan
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Vettakkoru Makan (Malayalam: വേട്ടക്കൊരുമകന്) is a Hindu deity worshipped in parts of Northern Kerala. This deity is alternately referred as Kiratha-Sunu (son of Kirata) in Sanskrit.[1][2] Vettakkorumakan is the chief deity of chera kings in Malabar, later after the collapse of chera kingdom the newly formed rulers adopted it. Vettakkorumakan is believed to be the son of Shiva by his consort Parvati, born when he assumed the form of a Kirata (hunter) to deliver a weapon known as Pashupatastra to Arjuna. He is mostly and exclusively worshipped in Malabar region of Kerala. The most famous temple of this deity is the Balussery-Kotta Vettakkorumakan temple about 25 km from Calicut. This was once the fort of the Cheras, prior to Rajas of Kurumbranad.
Vettaikkorumakan in (Malayalam: വേട്ടക്കൊരുമകന്) supposedly means "a son from a hunt", though grammatically and etymologically it is not acceptable. It is because the word comes from 'Karumakan' (കരുമകന്).Therefore, the correct name is 'Vettakkarumakan' (വേട്ടക്കരുമകന്). Traditionally, it was a deity of hunting; (vetta, വേട്ട = hunting, in Mal.). The Malayalam-English dictionary of Hermann Gundert too mentions the name Karumakan (കരുമകന്). In ancient Kerala, especially in northern Kerala, people who went for hunting used to give oblations (vazhipadu, Mal.) at the shrines of Vettakkarumakan. The Kerala Bhasha Institute has published a well-researched book titled 'Vettakkarumakan' (വേട്ടക്കരുമകന്) by Y.V. Kannan. The wrong and illogical transformation of the word to Vettakkorumakan (വേട്ടക്കൊരുമകന്) is a relatively new development, probably post-1850s.