Official website of Guruvayur Devaswom

OLD ADMINISTRATION

The superior staff in the administration were called Kovil adhikarikal, and lower staff as Kovil karmikal. The members of the staff were either given a monthly remuneration or assigned lands.

Aka koyma - The Aka koyma had to see that all the poojas and routine were performed at the proper time. He was the koyma or the supreme authority in the akam (temple matters as far as administration is concerned). He had his own room called koyma room.

Samudaya manusham - representative of the samudayam, consisting of the yogam and uralars. He was the chief executive, who does work in the name of Lord, as ordered by the uralar. As a servant he wasn't appointed from the Guruvayur Namboodiries. In ancient times, he was appointed by the uralar, subject to yogam approval. He used to get keys of Bandaram (cash box) with itangazhi (small measures). Since 1757, the Zamorins started appointing him and Mallisseri instructing.

Variyar - The official with whom people come in direct contact was the Variyar . They received offerings and made arrangements for performing them and were known as Pana-pravarthikkaran. The rendering of daily Tirthola (daily accounts) at night was done by them. Three families of Chowallur, Vadakkeppat and Tiruvankatam performed these functions every ten days in turn. They were called pathukar (ten day men)

Puthiyadathu Pisharodi - Pisharodi is a truncated form of Patarar tiruvati. Originally, the Patarar Tiruvati was the name of a Jain deity. After the ascendancy of Hinduism over Jainism , the tiruvati's status deteriorated from a Aka Koyma to kazhakakkaran (sweeping the ankana, cleaning the vessels, making garlands etc.). The Puthiyadathu Pisharodi were the kazhakakkaran of Edatharikathu Kavu (Devi temple). Earlier they were also temple criers.