Duryodhana Temple: Rare Kind of Temple

The anti-hero of mahabharatha ,duryodhana, is the presiding diety of Poruvazhi Malanada temple in Kollam. As strange the pujas and rituals are performed by the members of dalit kurava community.So the offerings to the lord include toddy,arrack & chicken,which retains a tribal touch.
This temple draws devotees from not only dalit community but also from the entire hindu community.There are a mix of legends, lores & folk stories behind the existence of this temple.The story behind it is that the place became holy by the visit of duryodhana. To regard him with reverance, they called him malanda appoppan,the lord of hills.
This could originally have been a place where the kurava tribe used to worship their ancestors. Later on the temple acquired some religious legitimacy and became acceptable to the entire local community. There are several such temples that have undergone this kind of historical process.