Karinthandan - The tribal hero of Wayanad turned deity

In South India, it is a common sight. All the vehicles would stop at a border temple before entering or leaving the town. Similarly, before entering the Wayanad hills or after completing the breathtaking nine hair bin bends, all drivers stop their vehicles at a particular shrine. However, the uniqueness lies in the deity. Here, the deity is not the typical well-known Hindu God or Goddess. Instead, a tribal head is worshiped as a deity. Come! Let us explore the exciting story behind this.

In the second half of the 1700s, the Britishers found transporting spices from Mysore to Kerala challenging. The path was through a thick forest that wild animals inhabited. There came our hero to help them. Karinthandan, the Chief of the Paniya tribe, knew every nook and corner of the forest region. The Britishers successfully constructed the road from Calicut to Wayanad with his guidance. 

The Viceroy announced a reward for this accomplishment. The British Engineer, who did not want to share fame and reward with the tribal head, cunningly led him to a peak and shot him dead. But the story did not end there.

In the 1800s, Thamarassery Churam became a spot that witnessed many accidents. Incidentally, whoever traveled via this road ended up facing some trouble. Eventually, people started avoiding traveling this way. People started believing that the soul of the martyr Karinthandan caused all these mishaps. Per the legend, a priest caught the soul of Karinthandan and chained it to a banyan tree at this spot. In Malayalam, they call it "Changala Maram". It has become a temple now, and Karinthandan has become a deity. No driver forgets to stop his/her vehicle at this spot and offer prayer to the tribal hero turned God. Of course, all of them want a safe journey ahead.

Happy travelling.