Achankovil Sastha Temple

The Achankovil Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located near the banks of the Achankovil River in the Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the five important temples dedicated to Shasta in Kerala, the others being Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu, Sabarimala and Kanthamala. The idol in the temple is believed to have been consecrated by Parashurama. The temple is known for curing poisonous snakebites. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers the temple.

Location
The temple is located near the banks of the river Achankovil. It is situated in the panchayat of Aryankavu in the Kollam district of Kerala. The temple is situated about 50 km from Punalur and 85 km from Kollam.

Deities
The principal deity of the temple is Shasta. He is locally known as "Achankovil Andavan" or "Achankovil Arasan". Shasta is depicted as a Gṛhastha (householder), along with his two consorts, Purna and Pushkala, on either side.

Bhagavati, Maalikapurathamma, Durga, Nagaraja, Nagayakshi, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Karuppu Sami, Karuppayi Amma, Cheppanimundan, Chappanimaadan, Madanthevan, Kalamadan, Kochattinarayanan, Singali Bhootathan and Arukola are the subordinate deities. The back portion of the temple has a Sarpa Kavu, where Naga is worshipped.

Snakebite treatment
Achankovil temple is known for curing poisonous snakebites, and the deity is considered a Maha Vaidya (great physician). The right palm of the Shasta idol holds Chandanam (sandalwood paste) and Theertham (holy water), which according to the devotees have medicinal properties. This is one of the rare temples that opens at night if necessary after the Athazha Puja. Those who get bitten by snakes can call for help at any time by ringing the temple bell, and the temple priests will help them. The person bitten by the snake is given sandalwood paste as prasadam and medicine and needs to stay at the temple for three or five days, depending on the severity of the poison.

Festivals
The Mandala Puja is one of the important festivals in the temple. It is held every year from the first to the tenth day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December–January). Revathi Puja is another main festival hosted in the Malayalam month of Makaram (January–February). The temple is also one of the important temples in Kerala to conduct the Therottam (chariot festival). Karuppanoottu and Karuppanthullal are the major attractions during the festival time. The festivals and rituals have similarity to the Tamil traditions.