ABOUT

Poonjar is a place of historic importance, situated on the north-eastern part of Kottayam district. Poonjar, a town at the foothills of Western Ghats, hails its noble history as the capital of Poonjar Kingdom. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka. Pala, Kanjirappally and Erattupetta are the nearest cities of Poonjar. The Poonjar dynasty originated from the Pandyan Kings of the Sangam Age. The founder of the dynasty, Manavikrama Kulashekhara Perumal, was a Pandyan king whose mother was a Chera princess. In 1152 AD, he shifted from Madurai due to the incessant civil wars in Tamil Country. The Raja carried one of the three idols of Meenakshi, their "Kula Devatha", which was used in the annual car festival at the famed Madurai Meenakshi Temple. It was established as a "pratishta" in the Meenakshi temple where it currently sits, on the banks of the Meenachil River. Near the palace is an amazing replica of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. The walls of this temple bear sculptures that narrate stories from the Puranas (the legends of ancient India). However, the most fascinating thing here is the Chuttuvilakku (row of lamps) carved out on the stone walls of the Sastha Temple nearby. Such rock-cut lamps are rare in India.