Panthirukulam

Members of Panthirukulam

All the twelve children of Vararuchi were brought up in twelve different families. They are as follows:

Agnihothri

Rajakan

Uliyannoor Thachan

Vallon

Vayillakunnilappan

Vaduthala Nair

Karakkal Matha

Uppukootan

Pananar

Naranthu Branthan

Akavoor Chathan

Pakkanar

Agnihothri

The first member of the twelve issues of Parayi (Panthirukulam), Agnihothri was brought up in Vemanjeri Mana at Thrithala in Palkkad district. It is Mezhathol Brahmadattan Namboodiripad who came to be famous by the name Agnihothri. He has held 99 'Fire Hothras' which brings the name "Agnihothri" to him. In order to conduct the death ceremonies of Vararuchi and his wife, all the twelve but for Vayillakunnilappan gathered in Agnihothri's house every year. Agnihothri's wife did not like the gathering of these people, as they belong to different castes of lower in nature. Knowing this, Agnihothri one day asked his wife to watch every one of them by making her touch body of each one of them. Together, they went to each one's room and she could see each of the eleven brothers wearing 'Gadapadma' like 'Mahavishnu' wearing 'Gadapadma' taking repose on Anantha.

Uliyannoor Perunthachan (The Master Carpenter)

He was the third member of the Panthirukulam and was born and brought up near Thrithala itself. Difference of opinion with the rulers of the period made him shift to Uliyannoor later. The Uliyannoor Mahadeva Temple located at the heart of the village 'Uliyannoor' id the best example of Thachan's craftsmanship. He had a son who expelled Perunthachan. There occurred many instances which could prove the excellence of his son. Once Perunthachan had built a wonderful bridge above Uliyannoor River. On one side of it, he founded a different sort of doll. When a person keeps his foot on one end of the bridge, the doll would slowly enter into water and when the person came near, the doll with a mouth full of water would come near him and would spit right on his face. When his son came to know this, he made another doll and founded it on the other side of the bridge. That doll would move forward and when the other doll was about to spit, son's doll would give a blow right on the face of the father's doll. Thus the life of the father and the son who excelled one another in carpentry would never demands oblivion.

Akavoor Chathan

He has brought up as a steward in Akavoor Mana near Alappey. Chathan showed many flashes of divine talent right from childhood. He inquired the Namboodiri about the aim of the bath and associated things he was doing daily right from the dawn till noon. Namboodiri replied that he was ceaselessly praying for 'Para Brahma'. Namboodiri emphatically said that 'Para Brahma was like a wild buffalo. Right then, Chathan started serving Para Brahma and on the forty first day, Para Brahma became apparent in the form of a wild buffalo. The Ochira Para Brahma Maoorthy Temple in the Kollam district of Kerala reveals the grandeur of 'Akavoor Chathan' clearly.

Vayilla Kunnilappan

When Vararuchi's wife delivered for the twelfth time, she answered 'NO' to the question of Vararuchi whether the child had mouth. And after a few moments, the mouth of the child disappeared and Vararuchi had enshrined the child on the nearest hill, alive. The thus formed famous Temple called 'Vayilla Kunnilappan Temple' is located in Palghat district.

Karakkalamma

The only female member of the Panthirukulam is Karakkal Matha. She was brought up in Kavalappara Palace near Shornur in Palghat district. There, ladies were given special consideration. It was because of the grandeur of Karakkal Mata. There are evidences to prove the historical truth in the myth of Karakkal Matha.

Paananar

He, the mouthpiece of divine music was a great personality. He was said to have played his ‘Udukku’ (a drum like musical instrument) even before Lords Parameswara (Siva).The details regarding his place of birth or how he was brought up and all are still unknown.

Paakkanar

Paakkanar was the second of the Panthirukulam (12 issues of Parayi). His 'Eerattingal Paakanar Colony' was near Thrithala. He was brought up in the Paraya family which is one of the groups belonging to the lower strata of the society. He practiced the ancestral job itself and he did it as a service. There are many instances to reveal the unbelievable talents of Paakkanar. Once he happened to see many Brahmins on the way to their pilgrimage to Kaasi, he gave his stick to them and requested them to bring it back after dipping it in Ganga. They continued the journey with the stick. While having their bath in Ganga, they dipped Paakanar's stick also. But some invisible force had drawn it down. When they came back from Kaasi, Paakanar asked for his stick. They informed him that the stick was lost. Paakanar calmly replied that if the stick was lost in Ganga. There was nothing to worry and surprisingly he took the same stick from the pond near his house. The stick came up by itself from the pond when Paakanar stood on the side of the pond. He planted the stick on the ground and it is said that the same stick later transformed to sweet Kanjira (Kanjira without bitterness). Besides it said that the Feudal Lords of Azhvanchery were given the position of Lords by Pakkanar. He, through his own life had provided the world with many philosophies of life. There are eighteen families following the ancestry of Paakanar, even now in Thrithala.

Historians failed to hint or find any evidence regarding the remaining members of Panthirukulam namely Rajakan, Vallon, Vaduthala Nair and Uppukootan. The families where they all were brought up are also unknown. 'Aithihyamaala' written by the writer called Kottarathil Shankunny describes ‘Parayi and the Twelve Issues’ (Parayi Petta Panthirukulam) in detail. We cannot neglect the story of Parayi and her twelve children that simply by calling it a myth. Because, History on March published by Kerala History Association says that seven or eight of the twelve scholar wonders were members of the literary audience of Kulashekar1 who lived till A.D 592-692 besides, the places associated with Panthirukulam too suggest that Panthirukulam is a historical reality.