Malayalapuzha Devi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Trivandrum International Airport is about 107 km away and is the nearest air terminal.

• By train

  Chengannur Railway Station is about 33 km away and is the nearest major station for trains.

• By road

  State and private buses serve Malayalapuzha. Jeeps are also a popular way to travel in the village.

Why devotees come here

Malayalapuzha Devi Temple stands in Malayalapuzha village, outside the city suburbs of Pathanamthitta in Kerala. It is the shrine of Bhadrakali, worshipped here in a fierce form. The temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old.

Malayalapuzha village is famous for its ancient Bhadrakali temple. Bhadrakali is worshipped here in a ferocious form, shown as she was soon after she killed the demon Darika. The village lies outside the city suburbs of Pathanamthitta, seven kilometres from its central junction, and five kilometres from Kumbazha junction.

Legend says two Namboothiri priests from northern Travancore, of the Aikireth and Eravimangalath families, went on a pilgrimage to the Mookambika shrine. There Bhadrakali revealed that Malayalapuzha was the most auspicious land to enshrine her. The priests carried her idol here and consecrated it, as she had asked.

The main idol is 5.5 feet high and is made from katu sarkara yogam. Wall paintings and stone carvings decorate the temple. One statue shows Parvati feeding baby Ganapathy on her lap. The annual festival runs for 11 days from Thiruvathira in the Kumbam month, with Kathakali on the fourth and fifth days.

Festivals

• Thiruvathira nakshatra in the Kumbam month, February to MarchAnnual festival

  Lasts 11 days, with Kathakali performed on the fourth and fifth days.

Tips for your visit

• Plan the visit around the festival in February or March if you want to see the Kathakali performances.
• Look for the wall paintings, the stone carvings and the statue of Parvati feeding baby Ganapathy.

Questions people ask