Did you know that there’s a temple dedicated to Duryodhana, the antagonist of Mahabharata?

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The main antagonist, Duryodhana (Duryodhanan in Tamil and Malayalam) of the great Indian epic Mahabharata is worshipped in a shrine located in the Kollam district of Kerala. Sounds odd, no? If Ravana, the antagonist of Ramayana can have several temples dedicated to him, then why cannot Duryodhana, the Kaurava scion have one? Interestingly, there is no idol of this Mahabharata character in the temple which is popularly known as the Poruvazhy Peruviruthy Malanada (where ‘Mala’ refers to a hill and ‘Nada’ means temple). Instead, devotees worship a raised platform which is called ‘Althara’ or ‘Mandapa’. This structure is believed to be the Sankalpa Moorti (revered symbol) of Duryodhanan.

As per the legend, Duryodhanan travelled miles from the north in search of the Pandavas, his cousins as well as arch-rivals, who were in exile. In a bid to defeat his cousins, Duryodhana wandered in the jungles and distant places until he landed in this place to take rest. Subsequently, he visited the house of Malanada Appoppan the head of the clan in Kaduthamsserry Kottaram. There, an older woman offered him water and the native drink as a mark of respect. Thus, as a gesture of gratitude, Duryodhanan prayed for the wellbeing of the people of this community and also presented several acres of land to them. He sat on top of the hill and prayed to Lord Shiva for the wellbeing of the Kurava clan who lend him a helping hand and sheltered him. The tradition of worshipping Duryodhanan proves that the man who attracted people’s hatred for his negative qualities also had traits worthy of respect.

Apart from Duryodhana, Gandhari (his mother), Dushala (his sister), Karna (his best friend), Dronacharya (his guru) and several other family members are worshipped by the people of Kurava community.

The Duryodhanan temple is famous for its unique annual Malakkuda festival which attracts thousands of participants and visitors.

For the unversed, Duryodhanan was the eldest son of Dhritarashtra, the visually-impaired king of Hastinapur. His maternal uncle Shakuni sowed seeds of hatred in his mind for his cousins (Pandavas) and ensured he grew up with the vengeance of destroying them.