Vadakkanthara Bhagawathy Temple,Darsan Information

Situated in Palakkad, Vadakkanthara Thirupuraikal Bhagavathy Temple is a famous temple dedicated to Kannagi. The temple is also known as Kannagi Amman Temple. It is the one and only Kannagi temple in Kerala where Kannagi is worshipped in full idolic form.

Location Kerala, Palghat, Thiruvananthapuram

Legend

According to the legends, Kannagi's husband, Kovalan was wrongly accused of being thief. The Madurai King ordered to execute Kovalan without a proper trial. After the death of Kovalan, a furious Kannagi burnt down the entire town. Kannagi left Madurai and came to Kerala along with her companions Kannadath and Kannangottu Pullottayyan. Kannagi gave darshan to King Shekharivarma and he built "Nadappathimannam Kshethram" for Kannahi. During Tippu's Malabar invasion, he destroyed many temples including "Nadappathimannam Kshethram". Devotees later recovered the divine Peetam and kept it at Tharavath Tharavadu in Vadakkanthara. Later, they installed (Ashtabandha Prathishta), the sanctum sanctorum below the

Athi Tree (Fig) near to Vadakkanthara Sree Ramapuram Vishnu Temple and the temple is now known as Vadakkanthara Temple.

Architecture

The sprawling Vadakkanthara Temple complex is an excellent example of traditional Kerala architecture. To the left of the entrance is the shrine of Lord Vishnu and to the right is the shrine of Goddess Bhagavathy. Sub-shrines of Bramharakshas in the form of a Lingam, Lord Ayyappa, Lord Nagaraja and Lord Ganesha, are all facing in the direction of Goddess Bhagavathi. Lord Ganesha was inside a small Gopuram (a vertical structure).

Darsan Info

The Vadakkanthara Temple is open from 04:30 AMto 11:30 AM and from 4:30 PM to 8 PM

It is Kerala's one and only Karnaki Temple where the goddess Karnaki is worshipped in her full idolic form.

Darsan Dresscode

Traditional Kerala attire

Famous Festival

February-March :Vadakkanthara Vela,Maha Shivarathri

April-May : Prathishta Day

August-September : Vinayaka Chaturthi

Culture

The Vadakkanthara Temple has got an interesting mixed culture of Malayalam and Tamil. The temple was installed by a group of merchants and another legend says that the temple was installed by a Malayalam King.

Temple Rituals

One of the main attractions of this Vadakkanthara Temple is the way the traditional pooja rituals are performed in Karnaki's temple and in the Visalakshi Sametha Shiva Temple (Siva-Parvathy Temple) in the same compound. For Karnaki, the Kerala form of pooja practices are performed by the Nambudiri; while in the Shiva Temple, Tamil Shaiva form of Pooja practices are performed by Tamil Brahmin priests.