Chakkulathukavu Temple is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

temple dedicated to the goddess

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

. Situated near Thiruvalla in Neerattupuram, Thalavady Panchayat,

Alappuzha District Alappuzha district (), is one of the 14 Districts of Kerala, districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to ''Alapp ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, India, it is one of the most renowned temples in the state. As one of the most popular deities in the region, Durga attracts pilgrims from all over

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

. Initially, the temple was little-known, serving only as a family temple of a local resident, until it underwent renovation a few decades ago. Located on the banks of the holy Pampa River, the temple has become a popular pilgrim center, attracting visitors from all over Kerala. It is located just 9 km from Thiruvalla Railway Station, KSRTC, and Thiruvalla City Centre. KSRTC buses ply every 7 minutes from Thiruvalla to Alappuzha via Chakkulathukavu. The major festival at the temple is Pongala, which takes place during the month of

Vrischikam The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam. There are many theories regarding the origin of t ...

(November/December). This is when the glory of the goddess is at its peak, and lakhs of women devotees gather around the temple, some arriving as early as one week before the function. The temple premises are overcrowded, and the devotees arrange places for offering the Pongala on both sides of the main streets. The queue usually extends to a surprising length of 20 km. Women devotees bring rice, coconut, and jaggery along with round earthen pots for cooking. The chief priest lights the main hearth from the divine fire inside the sanctum sanctorum, which is exchanged from one oven to another. Another festival celebrated at the temple is Panthrandu Noyampu, which is a type of

fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

and prayer that qualifies the devotee for eternal blessings of Chakkulathamma. This fasting starts every year from the first day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu until the twelfth. Other festivals celebrated at the temple include Naree pooja and Thrikkarthaka.

References

External links

Official website:www.chakkulathukavutemple.org

{{Hindu temples in Kerala Hindu temples in Alappuzha district Durga temples

See also

References

External links