KOLLAM: There is a temple born out of children's games in Neendakara Velithuruth. Pillarambalam Shivashakti Ardhanareeswara Temple. Children's games are still a tradition here.

When the shrine is opened after Diparadhana, instead of Chendamelam, children play with pots and containers. Kanikka is nedumkuthira made of baby coconuts decorated with garland made of candy wrappers. The ritual is 25 years old. The temple became a reality when children's games during summer holidays turned serious.

For the seven days of the festival, it is the children who carry the Jeevatha, the pallivaal and the chilambu for the parayeduppu. Children's baby coconut nedumkuthiras in the festival procession. Band group of children playing utensil instruments along with the elephants, art forms and chendamelam. On the day of Shivratri, children are bathed in front of the temple and served sadya on banana leaves.

When the game became serious

The festival at Neendakara Mannanthara temple in 1999 was on the school closing day. A group of children in Velithuruthu made a Shiva linga out of soil in the empty field on the day after the festival. The temple wall was made by tying a cloth in a circle. In the evening, a festival was celebrated with tin pots to make noise and old flagpoles for decoration. Thaalapoli procession was also conducted. The festival was repeated the next day.

Some miracles happened in two days. With this, the locals conducted a devaprasnam. The astrologer said that everything children do is God's will. The elders took charge, built a shrine and performed Ardhanariswara Pratishtha. Ten-day festival from Ayilyam day in Meenam month, the day children started their game. Children's band playing utensil instruments and baby coconut nedumkuthira in front of the festival procession.

Children hoisted the ceremonial flag(Kodiyettu) by raising a flag left by a sanyasi near the temple

A. Vinod (Temple President)