Manalikkara

Manalikkara (മണലിക്കര) is a small village located in the southern part of ancient travancore state, presently under Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu in Kalkulam Taluk.

The Inscription about Taxation was written in a pillar in front of the Manalikkara Alwar Temple in year 410 ME during the rule of Venad ruler King Veera Ravi Kerala Varma.

[2][3] The place Manalikkara has its influence as one of the branch of travancore royal family in Kalkulam in 1610 AD.

Raja Sri Illaya Rama Varma from Venad was from Manalikkara branch of the family in Kalkulam.

The Brahmin scholars lived in Manalikkara proved their expertise in tantric rituals, vedic and literatures.

[8] The Manalikkara Madom is founded by this Hindu Brahmin family who were residing in a place called Mathoor in Kalkulam taluk.

To overcome the poverty, they believed in worshipping lord Ganesha deity which was then lying in the place called Kottur.

[9] The writer and lyricist S.Ramesan Nair is also from the neighbouring village Kumarapuram who wrote poem about Manalikkara Lord Krishna.

The 13 plays in Sanskrit called Swapnavasavadatta written by the famous playwright and ancient poet Bhasa were unearthed from Manalikkara Madom in 1912 by T.Ganapati Sastri that was believed to be lost till the time.

[12][13][14] The Sanskrit work Devi Mahatmyam written in palm leaves fabricated in the shape of garland was also found in Manalikkara Madom.

It consists of a string of fifteen beads, each made of inseparable palm leaves pressed against two ingeniously worked out knots.

T. Gaṇapati Sastri also discovered a unique manuscript of the Buddhist treatise Āryamañjuśrīmūlakalpa (aka Mañjuśriyamūlakalpa) at this location.

The "Manalikkara Shasanam" written by Ravi Kerala Varma and the Unnuneeli Sandesam script found by the poet Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer were from the library of Manalikara Madom.

In the late evening, cultural programs like Nadakam (Drama), Kathakali (Traditional art), Bale (Dramatic dance), Ottanthullal etc.

The tenth day function is an "Aaraat Mahotsavam" during which the Lord Krishna is on elephant procession to the place called Valliyatumugham.