Panthalayani Aghora Shiva Temple, located in Koyilandy, Kozhikode district, Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his fierce and powerful Aghora Moorthy form. According to legend, Adi Shankaracharya visited the temple, where he spent time establishing the Malayalam calendar year and organizing the Rigveda recitations within the temple premises. Renowned writer Kottarathil Sankunny mentions this temple in his famous work Aithihyamala ("A Garland of Legends"), recounting the story of the Ettuveettil family. They were forced to leave their ancestral home in Kollam by a royal decree from the Travancore King, so they travelled northward by sea. Eventually, they arrived at a location where they found
more a massive Ayani tree (Artocarpus hirsutus). They named the area Panthalayani, meaning "canopy of the Ayani tree," and played a key role in establishing this temple, along with the Pisharikavu and Kaliyambath temples dedicated to the worship of Kali.
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