Payippadu Vallam Kali
Payippad Vallaarattu, or Jalotsavam, is a three-day water festival conducted in Payippad Lake, 35 km from Alappuzha district of Kerala state in south India. There is a close relation between this Payippadu Vallam Kali and Subramanya Swamy Temple in Haripad.
The legend
The people of the Haripad village decided to build a Sree Ayyappan temple in accordance with a vision that they should install the idol of Subrahmanya, which they would find in the Kayamkulam River under a whirlpool. Finding the idol, the people brought back Subrahmanya vigraha in a boat, escorted by the devotees in other boats ceremoniously. In remembrance of this event a three-day water festival is conducted each year.
The oldest temple was about 5000years old.There was a 'Skandakumara" idol was installed in the temple. So the place name became KUMARA PURAM. Even now some areas of Haripad is called Kumarapuram. At that time the temple was under control of some famous Ooranma families, those are Chengarappally, Thazhoor, Kizhikulam and 20 other Karanma families. These families decided to construct a new big temple. The 'Sreekovil' was constructed by Ambakkaattu Family of Karichal Village. At that time elder members of the Ooranma families saw a dream in same night. The dream was an idol of Subrahmanya with 4 hands (Chathurbahu) is lying in Govindamuttom Lake(Kayamkulam). People of these families rushed to the place in a boat (Palliyodam) to find out the idol. They found a whirpool in the lake. Now the place is called Kandalloor (kanda nalla ooru). After finding the Idol(Vigrha), the people taken it to Nelppurakkadavu near Harippad in a boat, escorted by many boats(Palliyodam)rowed by the villages. In remembrance of this event a three-day water festival is conducted each year.
Payipad boat race is one of the oldest boat race in Kerala, to get an idea of that period adding some information of the rulers of that time:(The golden period of the temple and the village was King Ravi Adithyan(Ravi kelan-2)period. At the time of King Marthanda Varma (in 1734), he added Kayamkulam and Chempakasseri to Travancore. This period Haripad temple's control also came under Travancore king. upadated by Gopakumar-Karichal..Book Ref:Harigeethapureshan)
