Tradition has it that Revathi Pattathanam, a competition for scholars, came to be organized in the 14th century as a Prayaschitta for this Brahmanahatya (murder of Brahmins, described as one of the five great sins in Dharmashastras).
To remove this curse, the Saiva saint Kolkunnattu Savankal, a contemporary of poet Raghavananda towards the end of the thirteenth century, advised the Zamorin to institute the competition on the latter's birth asterism of Revati every year.
Great scholars like the famous Uddanda Shastri from Tamil Nadu, author of the Kokila Sandeśa and Mallika Maruta, was a prominent participant in the contest for the Bhattasthana (the seat of a Bhatta).
[3] This incident is described in the Malayalam classic aithihya kathakal or Aithihyamala[4] The competition was conducted for seven days beginning from the asterism of Revathi in the month of Tulam on two mandapas (platforms) on either side of the Vatilmadam (entrance hall) of Tali temple.
It is noted in this regard that even the candidature of a great scholar like Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, the author of Narayaneeyam and Prakriya Sarvasvam was rejected by the Old Sabha six times.