Ochira
Location
The Ochira Temple is located 34 Km from Kollam.
Famous for
Ochira is known for the Ochira temple, which has some strange
rituals and practices.
About Ochira Temple
The Ochira temple, located in Kollam, is a unique temple of its own
kind. A striking feature of the Temple is that there is no deity in
the temple complex. More over, the temple also do not have any
Pujari to perform rituals. The temple is dedicated to universal
conciousness and has no idol of any god. The structure of the temple
is also not like any traditional temple. It is a place of equal
devotion for all religions. The temple is also known as Dakshina
Kashi and a unique offering to the temple is in the form of bulls.
Another interesting aspect in connection with the temple is the
annual festival called Ochira Kali, where men, both young and old,
step into waterlogged paddy fields and indulge in mock fights,
involving physical skills of the participants.
The Ochira-Kali Festival
The Ochira-Kali Festival is held in front of the Ochira Temple. The
play, called Kali, in which a large number of people participate is
held as a part of an annual festival to commemorate a battle fought
between the kings of two feudal principalities, Kayamkulam and
Ambalapuzha. The festival falls in mid of June and it lasts for two
days. The mock show of the fight is done on both days. This
dance-drama is a very popular celebration in Kerala.
Getting There
Air
Thiruvanantapuram International Airport, at 105 Km, is the nearest
airport to Kollam.
Rail
Kollam Railway Station is well connected to the major cities of
Kerala and South India. Ochira railway station is also connected to
Kollam and other cities of Kerala.
Road
Ochira can be reached by bus or taxi from the major cities of
Kerala. Some major cities disatnces from Kollam are: Trivandrum (71
kms), Varkala (37 km), Alleppey (85 km), Kottayam (110 km), Trichur
(229 km), Calicut (374 km), and Kasaragod (575 km).
Accommodations
There is quite a good number of hotels, guest houses and lodges in
Kollam, which provide with too many options to the visitor for stay.
