Kadampuzha Devi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Kozhikode is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Kuttippuram and Tirur are the nearest major railway stations.

• By road

  Buses to Kozhikode and Kannur run from Vettichira, 2.7 km away on the Thrissur-Calicut national highway.

Why devotees come here

Kadampuzha Devi Temple is a Hindu temple and pilgrimage centre in Kadampuzha, Malappuram district, Kerala. Its main deity is Devi Parvati as a huntress, and she is worshipped in a pit, with no idol. Legend says Arjuna did penance here during the Pandavas' exile.

Kadampuzha is a small town in Marakkara grama panchayat, near the Thrissur-Calicut national highway. The temple, also known as Kadampuzha Bhagavathy Temple, is a Hindu pilgrimage centre there. Its main deity is Devi Parvati in the form of a huntress. Legend says Arjuna did a deep penance here during the Pandavas' exile, to gain the Pashupatastra from Shiva. Shiva and Parvati came there disguised as hunters, to where Arjuna was meditating.

The Devi is worshipped without an idol, in a pit. The most important offerings here are called Vazhivadus. The two most important are Poomoodal and Muttarukkal.

Tradition holds that Adi Shankara consecrated the temple. This is a belief, not a settled record. The Devi's birthday is marked on Thrikkarthika day, usually in November or December.

Festivals

• In the month of DhanuRigveda Laksharchana

  Eight days of rites, attended by great Vedic scholars, under the temple thanthri.

• In the month of ThulamDravya Kalasam

  Eight days of rites under the temple thanthri, in their thanthrik and ritual forms.

• Usually in November or DecemberThrikkarthika

  The Devi's birthday is marked on a grand scale. The day is regarded as the most auspicious here.

Tips for your visit

• To watch the Vazhivadu offerings closely, stand at the doorstep of the Sreekovil, which is closer to the idol.
• A separate Shiva temple, Madambiyarkavu, stands near this one.

Questions people ask