The Kottankulangara Devi Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

to the

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

Durga

Bhagavathy Bhagavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavatī), is an Indian epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for goddesses in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is primarily used to address the goddesses Sarasvati, Laks ...

or Aadi Shakthi, the supreme mother of power, located in the village of

Chavara Chavara is a village in Karunagappally taluk, Kollam district, Kerala, India. It is a part of Kollam Lok Sabha constituency. Location and tourism Chavara is situated on the shores of the Arabian Sea and the major freshwater lake in Kerala ...

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 India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Early history

The plot of land where the temple is situated was once part of a forest, a tranquil area surrounded by a thick growth of trees, plants and creepers. On the northwest corner of the plot there existed a small deep pond known as Bhoothakulam. People living in the area believed it was a shelter for poisonous snakes. On the eastern side there was a huge extensive deep pond. During days of rain, a stream originated from there making the surrounding area fertile and cultivable. As this place was full of grass and pure water, the cow-herders from the neighbouring area would congregate there with their cattle.

Legend

According to the legend, a group of cow-herders got a coconut from this place. They found a stone on the southern part of Bhoothakulam. When they hit the coconut on the stone (intending to remove the husk), they found drops of blood dripping from the stone. They explained the phenomena to the elders. The

astrologer Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

suggested that the stone contained supernatural powers and poojas should be started immediately after constructing a temple. The elders and cow-herders constructed a temporary temple using poles, leaves and tender leaves of coconut palm. It was a custom in ancient days that balikas used to prepare flower

garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...

s, lit the pooja lamps in ancient Kudumba temples. Accepting this tradition, the cow-herders wearing female attire, offered poojas in the temple. The milky liquid prepared from coconut kernel was boiled, the medicinal oil (Urukku Velichenna) extracted and solid substance taken (Kottan) was offered to the goddess as Naivedyam.

Festivals

Chamayavilakku

The Kottankulangara Festival (or Kottankulangara Chamayavilakku) is held annually at the temple in which men from across the state and now even outside it dress in female attire. The cross-dressing is part of traditional ritual festivities and at night they hold traditional lamps and walk in procession to the temple to the accompaniment of a traditional orchestra. Devotees visit the temple to seek the blessings of the goddess.

Kuruthola Pandal

In order to commemorate the legend and origin of the temple, the model of the ancient temple is being constructed every year. The devotees stand long lines from Kunjalummoodu to Arattukadavu at the time of Devi's journey from Kunjalummoodu. Seeing this spiritual procession, the devotees derive an unlimited amount of spiritual joy and believe this sight would help them all to have comfort and mental pleasure and be redressed from the unforeseen miseries of life.

Jeevatha Ezhunnallathu

Jeevatha Ezunnallathu is mostly in Devi temples. Wearing traditional dress ("Thattudukkal") and with towels firmly tied at the waist and on the head, they carry the Jeevatha on their shoulders and perform the step-dance. The myth behind Jeevatha Ezhunnallathu is The goddess visit her devotes and devotes offering Anpara, Ezhu para to Devi for blessing.

References

External links

Kottankulangara Devi Temple Official Website

Kottankulangara Temple Official Website
{{Hindu temples in Kerala Hindu temples in Kollam district Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Cross-dressing Devi temples in Kerala