ABOUT

Sree Dharmasastha Temple is located at Sasthamcotta in Kollam District 11 kms west of Adoor, 10 kms from Karunagappally. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and the surroundings of the temple are covered by hills and forests. ". The term "Sasthamcotta" means "the place where Sasthav lives". Sasthamcotta Manikandan, who passed away in 1999 was the first elephant of this temple. There are many monkeys inhabiting the premises, which are considered holy. It is beleived that Lord Hanuman at the time flying to Lanka in search of Goddess Sita, halted at this place also, and since then this Temple is a home for Monkeys. The monkeys are devotee-friendly, and the thousands of devotees visiting the temple take pleasure in feeding these monkeys with nuts and fruits.The Dharmasastha (deity) here is said to have the same powers as that of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala and the place derives the name from the diety, the former name being Kota. The temple was built by a prince of Pandalam Royal family. Folklore has that the idol consecrated at Sasthamcotta temple is none other than the swayambhu idol worshipped by Lord Ram during his trip to Lanka (Sri Lanka) in search of his consort, Sita. What makes this lesser known temple, a must add in your itinerary is its location – situated next to a vast fresh water lake flanked by hills on three sides, the setting is simply divine! The ancient Sastha (Ayyappa, son of Shiva and Mohini [Vishnu in female form], according to legends) temple, which lends its name to the town, is also dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The temple, though at the edge of forests and has hills on its side is also next to a small town that has developed next to it.