Devi Temple, Kadampuzha
Encyclopedia
Devi Temple, Kadampuzha is a Hindu temple
and pilgrimage centre in Malappuram District, Kerala
, India
. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu
goddess
Durga
, a form of Devi
, the supremely radiant goddess.
The Devi temple, owned by the Malabar Devaswom Board under the Government of Kerala
, is administered through a trust consisting of the Variar
family and non hereditary co-opted trustees.
The town of Kadampuzha was once in the hands of the "Thekkencheri" Nair
family, but in the 1860s most of their land was lost. There is another temple, Madambiyar Kavu
temple, situated a short distance away from the Devi temple, which was originally constructed and maintained by the Nair family. The idol of the Madambiyar temple is Lord Shiva in his "Kirata" incarnation.
under a heap of freshly picked flowers) is the highest puja done in the temple
. The Muttarukkal, another offering, involves breaking coconut
s before the deity by the pujari
, correctly into two equal halves, and is used for warding away obstacles in the various facets of the life of the devotees
. The word itself means 'keeping away obstacles'. If an offered coconut
fails to be broken into two exact halves, then fresh coconuts are broken until one is broken 'correctly' - ensuring that the problem has been solved by the divine interference of the deity
.
Karthikai day in the month Vrishchikam
(November–December), is considered a special day and is celebrated in a grand manner at this temple.
The deity is considered more powerful on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Annadaanam or food offering is made daily at the temple.
Prince, Arjuna
, fought with Lord Shiva
during his Kirata incarnation
(he was accompanied by Devi Parvathy
during her Vanadurga incarnation).
A demon named Mukasura
took the form of a wild boar and started destroying the trees and shrubs around Arjuna. Arjuna was in deep meditation at the time, in order to get the Pasupathasthra (a divine arrow named "Pasupatham") from Lord Paramasiva.
Both Arjuna and Shiva shot at the wild boar and both claimed that his arrow had killed the animal. They argued, and finally agreed to fight a battle with bow and arrow. The victor of the battle would also get the honour of being the killer of the wild boar. The ensuing battle was fierce and Arjuna was defeated. Despondent over the defeat, Arjuna placed a big stone in front of him and started praying to the mother of the universe Parasakthi while showering flowers over the stone. He was amazed to see that the flowers fell at the feet of the Kirata and Kirati. He realised that those people were actually Lord Paramasiva and Devi Parvathy. The Lord and Devi Parvathy were pleased with Arjuna and gifted him with the Pasupathastra arrow.
Another legend says that Adi Sankaracharya, during his travels, once happened to pass through Kadampuzha, which was then a grassland. At one place he could not pass further, as he seemed to strike an invisible wall. He understood it to be the meeting point of the Goddess Parasakthi in her Devi Parvathy incarnation and Lord Parameswara in his "Kirata" incarnation. Adi Sankaracharya prayed to the Devi and she appeared before him. After blessing him, the goddess disappeared into a small hole in the ground. He did the first poojas to the devi there on that day in Vrishchikam
(November–December) and the sanctum of the temple
is said to have been built around that hole. There is no idol in the temple.
Currently, the temple is under renovation/modification/beautification and hence the devotees are requested to make a note of the revised timings till the construction is completed.
a)The MUTTARUKKAL offering is being done only in the morning i.e. between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. No MUTTARUKKAL will be conducted in the evening.
b)The POOMOODAL offering is being done between 9 & 11 a.m. after which the temple will be closed after morning pujas by 11 a.m.
c)The temple will be opened for the evening darshan at 6 p.m. and will be closed at 7 p.m.
The Devotees are requested to contribute for the temple renovation fund as much as they can.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
and pilgrimage centre in Malappuram District, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
, a form of Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
, the supremely radiant goddess.
The Devi temple, owned by the Malabar Devaswom Board under the Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
, is administered through a trust consisting of the Variar
Variar
Warrier is a South Indian, Hindu caste of the Ambalavasi community from Kerala, India. They are engaged to assist the Namboodiri priests in temple-related chores, primarily catering to the floral requirements and daily maintenance of the temple. Variars form an intermediate between Dwija and...
family and non hereditary co-opted trustees.
The town of Kadampuzha was once in the hands of the "Thekkencheri" Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
family, but in the 1860s most of their land was lost. There is another temple, Madambiyar Kavu
Kavu
Kavu is the traditional name given for sacred groves across the Malabar Coast in Kerala, South India. Kavus are notable for Theyyam, the centuries old ritual dance....
temple, situated a short distance away from the Devi temple, which was originally constructed and maintained by the Nair family. The idol of the Madambiyar temple is Lord Shiva in his "Kirata" incarnation.
Daily offerings and special events
There are two main daily rituals at the temple. The Poomoodal (covering the deityDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
under a heap of freshly picked flowers) is the highest puja done in the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
. The Muttarukkal, another offering, involves breaking coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s before the deity by the pujari
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, correctly into two equal halves, and is used for warding away obstacles in the various facets of the life of the devotees
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. The word itself means 'keeping away obstacles'. If an offered coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
fails to be broken into two exact halves, then fresh coconuts are broken until one is broken 'correctly' - ensuring that the problem has been solved by the divine interference of the deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
.
Karthikai day in the month Vrishchikam
Vrishchikam
Vrishchikam is the first month of kollavarsham, the Malayalam Calendar. This translates to Scorpio in the Western Calendar....
(November–December), is considered a special day and is celebrated in a grand manner at this temple.
The deity is considered more powerful on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Annadaanam or food offering is made daily at the temple.
Legends surrounding the temple
A story regarding the Devi says that the PandavaPandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
Prince, Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
, fought with Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
during his Kirata incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
(he was accompanied by Devi Parvathy
Parvathy
Parvathy may refer to:* Parvati, the Hindu goddess, commonly spelled Parvathy in southern India.* Parvathy Jayaram, actress from Kerala, India* Parvathy Omanakuttan, runner-up in Miss World 2008* Parvati Melton, Indian model and actress...
during her Vanadurga incarnation).
A demon named Mukasura
Mukasura
Mukasura or Mukāsura was an asura in the Indian epic Mahabharata. He was a friend of the Kauravas and the son of Upasunda, who was sent to disturb the austerities that Arjuna was performing at Indra keeladri, geographically now in Andhra pradesh...
took the form of a wild boar and started destroying the trees and shrubs around Arjuna. Arjuna was in deep meditation at the time, in order to get the Pasupathasthra (a divine arrow named "Pasupatham") from Lord Paramasiva.
Both Arjuna and Shiva shot at the wild boar and both claimed that his arrow had killed the animal. They argued, and finally agreed to fight a battle with bow and arrow. The victor of the battle would also get the honour of being the killer of the wild boar. The ensuing battle was fierce and Arjuna was defeated. Despondent over the defeat, Arjuna placed a big stone in front of him and started praying to the mother of the universe Parasakthi while showering flowers over the stone. He was amazed to see that the flowers fell at the feet of the Kirata and Kirati. He realised that those people were actually Lord Paramasiva and Devi Parvathy. The Lord and Devi Parvathy were pleased with Arjuna and gifted him with the Pasupathastra arrow.
Another legend says that Adi Sankaracharya, during his travels, once happened to pass through Kadampuzha, which was then a grassland. At one place he could not pass further, as he seemed to strike an invisible wall. He understood it to be the meeting point of the Goddess Parasakthi in her Devi Parvathy incarnation and Lord Parameswara in his "Kirata" incarnation. Adi Sankaracharya prayed to the Devi and she appeared before him. After blessing him, the goddess disappeared into a small hole in the ground. He did the first poojas to the devi there on that day in Vrishchikam
Vrishchikam
Vrishchikam is the first month of kollavarsham, the Malayalam Calendar. This translates to Scorpio in the Western Calendar....
(November–December) and the sanctum of the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
is said to have been built around that hole. There is no idol in the temple.
Currently, the temple is under renovation/modification/beautification and hence the devotees are requested to make a note of the revised timings till the construction is completed.
a)The MUTTARUKKAL offering is being done only in the morning i.e. between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. No MUTTARUKKAL will be conducted in the evening.
b)The POOMOODAL offering is being done between 9 & 11 a.m. after which the temple will be closed after morning pujas by 11 a.m.
c)The temple will be opened for the evening darshan at 6 p.m. and will be closed at 7 p.m.
The Devotees are requested to contribute for the temple renovation fund as much as they can.