chottanikkara-devi-temple-kochi

Chottanikkara Devi Temple, Kochi

The Chottanikkara (correction of Jyotiannakkara) Devi Temple is a famous temple of mother goddess Bhagavati. She is a shape of Mahalakshmi. Lakshmi is assumed to be living in Chottanikkara along with the excellent deity lord Maha Vishnu. The temple is placed at Chottanikkara, a southern suburb of the town of Kochi in the nation of Kerala, India and is one of the maximum famous temples in the kingdom. In terms of temple architecture, Chottanikkara temple sticks out to be an remaining testimonial for the historic vishwakarma sthapathis (wood sculpture) along side Sabarimala temple. Sree Mahamaya Bhagavati (Adi Parashakti), the goddess of saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati is one of the most famous deities in Kerala and the ideally suited mother goddess in Hinduism. Chottanikkara Devi (Melekavu Bhagavathi) is worshipped at the temple, in 3 exceptional paperwork: as Mahasaraswati within the morning, draped in white; Mahalakshmi at midday, draped in purple; and as Mahakali within the evening, decked in blue. Goddess ‘Keezhkkaavu bhagavathi’ is assumed to be Bhadrakali, in her fierce form or Ugra shape. Bhadrakali, is a form of mother Kali, imagined to be born from the 0.33 eye of lord Shiva, to kill the demon king Darika. People stricken by intellectual illnesses and usually visit the temple, as Chottanikkara devi is said to remedy her devotees. Guruthi pooja is a ritual accomplished at overdue evening to invoke goddess Mahakali. Earlier ‘Guruthi Pooja’ become accomplished best on Fridays. However nowadays, it’s miles achieved each day.

The region wherein the temple is located changed into once a dense jungle that is to said to be infested by using yakshis and raktharakshas. A tribesman named Kannappan used to stay in this woodland. He become a religious worshipper of Kali, and could ritually sacrifice a cow to her every Friday (the day of the Goddess). Someday, he observed a lovely black calf near the forest. He abducted the calf and took her to his altar. Simply earlier than he sacrificed the calf, tribesman’s daughter Manimanga stepped in and pleaded to him to forestall the sacrifice. The person cherished his daughter and for this reason permit her maintain the calf as a pet. Sadly, Manimanga died some days later, possibly because of a snake chew. Kannappan broke into tears and determined to cremate her body. To his wonder, his daughter’s corpse disappeared. A close-by priest advised him the motive for such an prevalence; Kannappan used to forcibly take young calves from their mothers and sacrificed them. As punishment, he met the identical destiny whilst his daughter died. However, whilst the tribes man looked for the calf, he located divine stones in its region. The priest once more tells him that the stones have been truly divine and that they represented the divine couple, Vishnu and Lakshmi, and to hope before these stones ordinary and he might be forgiven for what he had performed within the beyond. For the reason that Kannappan’s demise, the stones have been forgotten. In the future, a grass-cutter came to the forest to reduce a few wild grass. On account that her knife was blunt, she sharpened it on what she concept was a massive stone. Best it changed into a stone, but then it started bleeding. Horrified at what she saw, she brought the problem to the public’s attention. A close-by priest was referred to as to remedy the problem. After devaprasnam, it changed into concluded that the stones had been divine.

Some other legend related to the temple become that of the religious chief Shankaracharya. At some stage in the time in which he lived, Adi Shankara realised that there wasn’t a single temple in Kerala that signified the worship of goddess Lakshmi. As a end result, he himself went to the Kodachadri hills in Karnataka and meditated for plenty days for the goddess to appear before him. His meditation bore fruit and before him stood the stunningly beautiful goddess, clad in purple. On enquiry, he stated that he would really like to carry the goddess to Kerala and set up a temple committed to her worship. This way the people from Kerala might not need to pass such a long way off distances to worship her, as within the case for those who were antique and elderly. After quite a few persuasion, the goddess agreed; she might follow him by using foot anywhere he went, but best on one situation. If he trusts her, then he was now not allowed to appearance returned to look if she observed him or not. If he did, then would not cross any in addition. He consents and they continue taking walks. They were walking down the Kodachadri hills, with Shankara leading the manner and goddess’ anklets tinkling and letting him recognise that she turned into with him. After taking walks far, the tinkling stopped all of a surprising. Shankara waited some moments and stole a quick appearance backwards to discover the goddess still with him, watching him with reproach. In step with the situation, the goddess stopped proper there. This is the spot which might come to be the Mookambika temple. Shankara, but, became now not one to give up. He apologized profusely for breaking the condition and repeatedly begged and pleaded with the goddess to go with him to Kerala. After many pleas, the goddess consents to a compromise and came to Chottanikara in Kerala, in which the Chottanikara temple stood. From early hours of morning, goddess might come and appear before the devotees at the Chottanikkara temple. Then inside the afternoon, she would go back to the Mookambika temple (spot where she stopped). Because then, the sanctum doorways of the Chottanikkara temple had been opened at some stage in early morning hours in honour of worshipping goddess Saraswati before the doors of the main sanctum in Mookambika temple were opened.

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How to reach

  • By Road: KSRTC Central Bus station is near the Ernakulam Junction railway station. It runs Express and Fast services from Ernakulam to other major cities within Kerala and into the neighbouring states. Reciprocal services from other States are also available. There are plenty of private buses available for travel from Ernakulam to other cities. They operate from High Court Junction, Railway Station and Kaloor Junction.
  • By Train: The nearest station is at Ernakulam about 17km away from Chottanikkara. The two railway stations in Kochi are Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town. Trains from the Northern cities/Southern parts of India stop at Ernakulam Junction.
  • By Air: International Air Port is at Nedumbassery, near Aluva, about 22 kms away from Ernakulam, Kochi.
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How to reach

  • Nearest airport is Kochi
  • Nearest railway station is Ernakulam 
  • Nearest bus station is Ernakulam 
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