Kolli Pavai of Kolli Malai

Kolli Pavai

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

      Kolli Malai is a small mountain range near Namakkal of Tamil Nadu .Literally it means  “Mountain of death”. There is a famous Shiva temple on the top of Kollimalai  called “arapaleswarar temple”. There are lot of references to this mountain in ancient Tamil Literature. There is abelief that , this place was connected to the Great philanthrophist Val Vil Ori in the ancient  times.  On the way to this temple is a village  Called Poonthottam(Flower garden). Four km from this village  is the mysterious  Kollipavai temple. Literally he name means , “Maiden of death”. She is not in a temple but in a hut with palm leaf roof. This hut does not have any doors also  She has a very enigmatic smile   that attracts all. This idol also has eight legs and is also called Ettu Kal amman (Goddess with eight legs) . It seems there are references to this Goddess  in Sipaadhikaram , one of the ancient tamil epic. The idol is always covered with sandal paste. The anointing of the idol by sandal paste is done by her priest behind a curtain. 

    It is believed that  in Kolli Malai large number of herbs and medicines , grow  and lot more are buried in caves and pits in the mountains. It is believed   that  Many saints and Sidhas are doing penance on the top of the mountain.. The famous Saint Gorakh Nath is supposed to have his cave on this mountain. These saints requested The Asura architect Maya  to make a  idol which would attract all bad people    and kill them and they called the idol, “The maid of death.” AS soon as that idol gets the scent of bad people or asuras , it seems she attracts them by her smile and  kills them. But the priest of the temple says that  Kolli Pavai is the Goddess providing protection to all the villagers in that area.  He anoints the idol with sandal paste   and then runs  and jumps all round her   shouting and also dances, Then he shows the camphor Light    to the Kolli Pavai ,  wears  in a trance a wooden sandal with three inch long  nails and sharp iron pieces and answers all the questions posed by  the devotees of the Goddess. After getting rid of the trance , he kgives Prasada of sacred ash  to all her devotees.

    People believed that The Sidhas  who come to collect rare  medicinal herbs from the mountain, first take permission from Kolli Pavai   , go and collect the herbs, bring them back and take permission of Kolli Pavai   to use them. They believed that the  full effect of the herbs collected could be experienced only if they follow this method.

     Some information about this Goddess is available in

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.183396041713821.53997.165705026816256&type=3