Uthralikkavu Bhagavathy Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Wadakkanchery is the nearest convenient railway station, and the temple stands beside the Thrissur-Shoranur line.

• By road

  The temple lies about two kilometres north of Wadakkanchery, on the Kodungallore-Shoranur state highway.

Why devotees come here

Uthralikkavu Bhagavathy Temple stands in Engakkadu village, Wadakkanchery, Thrissur district, amid paddy fields. It is an ancient shrine of Devi Rudhiramahakali. Its sanctum is open to the skies, and its eight-day Pooram has elephant processions by day and night.

The shrine was first called Rudhiramahakali Kavu, and it is rooted in local legend. The deity is still known by that name. Legend says that Kelathachan, a landlord from Thalappilly, carried the idol of Devi Mookambika on his umbrella while he inspected his fields. Where he set the umbrella down by a ridge, the deity chose to stay, and that spot became her seat.

A second tale says a woman was sharpening her sickle near the site when she accidentally struck the idol, and it began to bleed. The idol was then consecrated after astrological consultations, and the temple was established with meticulous rituals. The site is now known as Mullakal Sreemoolasthanam, and its sanctum is open to the skies.

Machad Thiruvanikavu, the sister shrine 4 km away, is intrinsically connected with this temple.

Festivals

• Second Tuesday of the Malayalam month of Kumbham, after mid-FebruaryUthralikkavu Pooram

  An eight-day festival with elephant processions by day and night. Fireworks go up in the evening of Pooram day and again in the early hours after it.

Tips for your visit

• Because the Pooram follows the Malayalam calendar, its date changes from year to year, so check the date before you travel.
• If you plan to see Machad Thiruvanikavu as well, it is 4 km away, and the two shrines are intrinsically connected.

Questions people ask