Alumkadavu-Sasthamkotta Region
This small town, located on the banks of Sasthamkotta Freshwater Lake, is mainly famous for the Dharmasastha temple here. The name Sasthankotta is linked to this temple. The Sastha of Dharmasastha is prefixed to Kotta (Fort) and thus the name Sasthamkotta was born. This temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa is corrugated metal sheet roofed. The monkeys camping around the temple are considered the guest of the deity. Instead of tile roofs found generally in Kerala temples, here the roof is made of corrugated metal sheet so that the roof does not get damaged when the primates batter as most of the time they are on temple roof. The devotees have a belief that they should step on the droppings of the monkeys. The belief is stemmed from the fact the monkeys were very dear to the Lord Ayyappa when he was a boy. The steps leading down from the temple is straight to the Freshwater Lake. This Lake is the source of drinking water for the entire district.
This region represents a way of life a visitor might not have seen anywhere else. Hire a small boat (vallam in local terminology) costing Rs 100-200 (depending upon the visitor’s bargain skill) and cruise past small houses on the banks of the backwaters. For the inhabitors these are their homes but to the visitors they are heaven. The day ends with a thought in the minds of the visitor – what a world around to experience.
The time spent in the boats is an exciting experience to the visitors, but for the people dwelling here the boats are everything – the means of livelihood, means of transport between home, work, school, market, shrines and on on. A small vallam (boat) is a four or six-seater and other passengers have to stand. A visitor cruising in a vallom discovers Kerala and her people. No guides or cooked up brochures are necessary for this.
