Pulamanthole Rudra Dhanwanthari Temple, located in Malappuram, is a renowned temple associated with Pulamanthole Mooss, one of the legendary Ashtavaidyans of Kerala. According to local belief, several traditional Ayurvedic families of Kerala received their knowledge of medicine from Parashurama. Devotees reach here, seeking relief from their ailments. This temple is famous for Sarvaroga Shamana Pooja – a form of worship to cure all diseases.
Pulamanthole Rudra Dhanwanthari Temple is dedicated to Dhanwanthari and Shiva
The temple, believed to be more than 3000 years old, is dedicated to Dhanwanthari and Shiva, with Mahadeva worshipped here in the healing form of Vaidyanatha. Devotees from distant places visit the temple seeking relief from illnesses and mental distress. It is believed that prayers and offerings to Dhanwanthari help cure rheumatic and nervous ailments, while worship of Shiva brings peace from emotional and mental troubles.
Considered one of the important temples of the old Valluvanad region, the shrine also has sub-deities including Ganesha, Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy, Cherukunniyamma, Ayyappa with Poorna and Pushkala, Vettakkaran, Rakshas, and Neela Vattaka Dharika.
The annual festival is celebrated on the Punartham star day in the Malayalam month of Medam.
Legend behind the Dhanwanthari Murthy of the temple
Earlier it was only a Shiva temple. Lord Shiva took the form of Vaidyanadha and resided here. There is a story behind the installation of Dhanwanthari Murthy here.
Once upon a time, the Raja of Travancore suffered from a severe stomachache, and even after receiving treatment from physicians from Travancore and Kochi, his condition was not cured. The Maharaja wished to receive treatment from Pulamanthole Mooss, belonging to the Ashtavaidya tradition, who also treated the Zamorin of Malabar and the royal family of Valluvanadu. The Maharaja sent his messengers to Pulamanthole Illam.
When they reached there, only two people were living in the illam — a mother and a child whose Upanayanam ceremony (Sacred Thread Ceremony) had not yet been performed. When the boy heard the matter, he was surprised. Following his mother’s words, he decided to accompany them after completing bhajana (bhajan/japa) at Sree Rudhradhanwanthari Temple (in its old form, with Shiva as the presiding deity) for 12 days.
On the 12th night, he received a divine darshan from Lord Shiva, who told him that there were three tablets in a box near him. If the Raja was given those three tablets three times a day, he would be cured. He was also instructed not to accept any rewards offered by the Maharaja. Instead, there was a Dhanwanthari idol carved out of Anjana stone lying in the Thamarabharani River of Tamil Nadu. Dhanwanthari instructed him to ask the Raja to take the idol from there, purify it in the Pulamanthole River, build a temple on the left side of the present temple and install the idol there.
He woke up from the dream, and found a box with three tablets near him. His mother told him that he got the divine darshan from Lord Shiva, and as instructed by Him, she sent her son to the Maharaja of Travancore. He cured the king, and the pleasant king offered him many rewards, which he denied. Instead, he expressed his desire to install the Dhanwanthari idol in the temple, which the king accepted.
The king ordered his soldiers to search for and find the idol in the river. Though the soldiers searched a lot, they couldn’t find it. At that time, a divine saint appeared in front of them and showed the place where the idol was lying. Soldiers took the idol and purified it in the Pulamanthole River. On the installation day, the saint who guided the soldiers near the Thamarabharani River appeared there and installed the idol.
The place where the saint disappeared
The saint stood in the middle of the Shiva and Dhanwanthari temples, and suddenly disappeared. It’s believed to be Lord Shiva himself. That’s how Pulamanthole Sree Rudhra temple became Rudhradhanwanthari temple, as per legends. A Thapasan temple has been built there.
The Miraculous “Mukku” Prasad
Sarvaroga Shamana Pooja is a major offering in the temple. The temple is globally famous among believers for a highly specialized, medicated prasadam called Mukku, made under the strict guidance of the Mooss family. The secret medicine includes some herbs, mixed with curd. This preparation is offered to Lord Dhanwanthari during morning poojas. It is widely sought after by devotees suffering from chronic physical ailments, particularly severe stomach and digestive disorders
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