Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple

Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
Location
Location	Pallippuram, Pattambi, Palakkad
Architecture
Type	South Indian, Temple
Creator	Unknown

The Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple or Kodikkunnu Ambalam is one of the famous Hindu temples dedicated to Goddess Durga located in the village of Pallippuram, near Pattambi, in Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The goddess is commonly referred to as the Kodikkunnathamma.

The main deity is Amma means Mother and there is Siva also with almost same importance. There is Ganapathi and is left to Devi. Many people come from distant places to worship the goddess. The word “kunnu” means hill. As the word means the temple is situated on top of a hill called “Kodikkunnu”. Kodikkunnu is near to Pallippuram railway station and there are roads from Valanchery, Pattambi and Thrithala to reach Pallippuram.

The temple has entrance from 3 directions, east, north and west. The door towards south is permanently closed. Vehicle won’t reach temple premises as there is no road reaching the temple. From all three directions there are stone steps to reach the temple

Mythology

Chirankara Pooram, Ezhunnallathu

All believed in a legend that at some time in the past there was only a poor widow and three children in one house. She used to keep cows and every morning she would take the milk to the temple. In return she got enough cooked rice for the day. Once the river was full and the boatman did not dare to make it across. The widow returned and told the children that there would not be any rice till the river subsided. She gave boiled milk to the children and put them to bed. At midnight someone knocked on the front door and she opened it. There was an old woman on the door step all covered up and drenched. The nocturnal visitor placed a brass vessel full of rice in front of the widow and commanded: "Wake the children and feed them!"

Chirankara Pooram, Parappoothan

Then the figure vanished. After the flood receded, on the fourth day the widow went to the temple with the usual milk. She had kept the rice vessel also with her to discuss the incident with the priest. The priest was astonished. The vessel had been missing from the sanctum sanctorum for the last three days.

Thara visiting houses during “Pooram”

There is a grandmother too, the mother of Kodikkunnath Goddess. She is in the temple Muthassiar Kavu (grandmother's temple) near Pattambi. According to one legend the Grandmother Goddess and her three beautiful daughters (including Kodikkunnathamma) were strolling along the river bed on a summer night. They saw a dance festival by the Harijans and the youngest daughter was so carried away by it, that she refused to go along when it was time to leave. The mother ordered her to be with the Harijans and perform as their guardian deity. This is the popular belief on the origin of Kanakkar Kavu (Kanakkar is a sect of Harijans).

Chirankara Pooram, Thara

On another occasion the two sisters quarreled after witnessing the ritual of an animal sacrifice. As the younger one was so much engrossed in the gory scene, the elder one parted company and settled down in Kodikkunnu. The younger sister shifted to Kodungallur where blood sacrifices were a common ritual until the immediate past. And the two elder sisters are still angry with their youngest sister they have closed their temple door towards Kodungallur. So in Kanakkar kavu and Kodikkunnu Temple there is no "thekke nada"(entrance from south).

Temple Festivals

Chirankara Pooram

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Chirankara Pooram, People bringing "Kettukalas" to the temple

Chirankara pooram(temple festival) is the main festival of Kodikkunnu Bhagavathi Temple. This festival is conducted at Chirankara Maha[vishnu] temple which is known as the “Keezhekkavu” of Kodikkunnathamma. Chirankara temple is a [Vishnu] temple and pooram festivals are conducted in [Durga] temples only. But this [Pooram] is conducted there on behalf of Kodikkunnathamma. The area comes under Pallippuram is divided in to parts called “Desham”. From every desham people will bring different type of plays. From all deshams there will be Poothan and Thara (see pictures).

Chirankara Pooram, Melam

The main attractions during the pooram is [Chenda] melam, [Thayampaka] and [Panchvadyam]. From every desham people will bring “Kala”(decorated artificial bullock pairs, see picture). At the end of the day there will be “Vedikkettu”(fireworks) which is a very enchating sight to see.

Kathiratta Vela

The other important festival associated with the temple is the Kathiratta Vela (Festival of Harvest) that is celebrated in every year. This vela is conducted as a tribute to goddess thanking her for giving a good harvest. There is no limit for the number of velas you can conduct. Usually every year there will be one “Kathiratta vela” conducted by “Parudur desham” where farming is the main livelihood. Kathirattavela is conducted in the temple premises itself.

Parappoothan visiting houses during Kathirattavela

External links

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