CHOTTANIKKARA

This place is located 38 kms from Cochin Airport and 18 kms from Ernakulam Railway Station. Chottanikkara means donating food. Chola means Food, Kara means Village. As the days passed, this place became Chottanikkara.

Chottanikkara Bhagavathi

The Bhagavathi is the family diety for the royal family of Kochi.

Story 1 - There is a legend behind the origin of the temple. According to the legend, the place where the temple stands today was once a dense forest inhabited by tribals. Kannappan a ferocious dacoit who dominated this area, brought a cow to his home with the intent of slaughtering it. But the cow escaped into the forest and Kannappan tried to trace it but failed. He returned home disappointed and was surprised to find his beloved only daughter playing with the very same cow. At her request, Kannappan dropped the idea of killing the cow. But some days later his daughter passed away and this shattered him. He lost interest in mundane things and turned his thoughts towards god. One day, Goddess Bhagawati appeared in his dream and revealed that it was she who had come in the form of the cow. She also informed him that the presence of Her idol and that of Vishnu would sanctify the cowshed. The following day, Kannappan found the two images in the cowshed. He built a humble shrine and worshipped the images. Known as 'pavizamallithara' (Place of the coral jasmine flower), located south of the main temple was the exact place where Kanappan's cowshed and shrine was located. That day Lord Vishnu appeared before Kannappan and pardoned his sins and decided to be present in the temple along with the Goddess. That is how the concept of Lakshmi Narayana came to this temple. The place where Kannappan used to sacrifice his cows is the location of the Keezhe kavil Bhagawathi.
Story 2 - After the death of Kannappan the temple fell in ruins, as the place became uninhabited. One day a pulaya (outcaste) woman who had come to cut grass sharpened her knife against a stone, which started to ooze blood. This was informed to the learned Edathu Nambudiri and he realised that there was divine Chaitanya of Parasakti at the place. Several poojas were performed and a prasnam was held in which it was revealed that the stone be worshipped as Devi and the adjoining one as Vishnu. That day, the elder Brahmin of the Edattu house came along with some puffed rice in a coconut shell and this was offered to the Goddess for the first time. Even today this system of offering puffed rice in a coconut shell continues. The Brahmins of Ehouse became the hereditary priests at this temple since those days.

Story 3 - It was Adi Sankarawho visited the temple, and brought in to the idol the presence and power of Mookambika. The legend goes that after doing tapas in the Himalayas, Sankara was blessed with the 'darshan' of Goddess Saraswathy whom he requested to accompany back to Kerala. The Goddess agreed to do so on the condition that Sankara was not to look back while she accompanied him. After a long travel when Sankara felt he was not able to hear the tinkle of the Goddess's anklets, with doubt, he looked back but alas the Goddess had by then turned into a golden statue since he had broken his promise. This place where this incident took place was in Kollur, near Mangalore, Karnataka. There the famous Mookambiga temple was built and Sankara consecrated the idol. Sankara was saddened by the turn of events and begged the forgiveness of Saraswathy whose heart melted for her devotee and promised that she would present herself at Chottanikkara in the mornings and he could meet her there.

Story 4 - It seems when Vilwamangalam Swamiyar visited this temple he saw a powerful halo of light over the temple pond. He instituted a search and the present statue of Keezhe kavu was found in the tank.

Story 5 - There is also a story of a certain Gupthan Namboodiri who was pursued by a Yakshi while on a visit to meet his friend Kosapilli Namboodiri who practiced occult sciences. It seems, the Yakshi took the form of a pretty maiden and tried to entice Gupthan. Since he was carrying a palm leaf copy of Devi Mahatmyam, she was not able to do him any harm. However Gupthan was attracted to her. Later when he reached his friend Kosapilli Namboodiri's house, Gupthan narrated the incident and Kosapill deduced that the lady was a Yakshi. He then gave Gupthan Namboodiri an enchanted towel to carry along on his return journey to protect himself from the Yakshi. When Gupthan saw the Yakshi following him he ran towards the Chottanikkara temple where he threw the towel outside and jumped into the compound of the temple. The Yakshi who was pursuing him could only catch hold of his feet. When Gupthan cried out for help from the mother Goddess, she came out and cut the Yakshi to pieces and threw her in to the temple tank. That tank is known today as Yakshikkulam or Rakthakulam.

Prayers - "MAKOM Thozhal" (worship on the Makom day) is the most important festival of the temple which is celebrated in the month of Kumbham. (Feb / March). It is believed that Bhagavathy in her full attire gave darsan to Vilwamangalam Swamiyar on the Makom day and appears on the same day every year for giving darsan to the devotees in her special appearance. The Bhadrakaali at Kizhukkavu is believed to exorcise evil spirit from devotees, after conducting bhajanam. Patients suffering from mental disorders/diseases come here in large numbers. Facilities have been provided here to enable the relatives and their patients to stay here and pray Bhagavathi for one Mandalam period.

Devotees can also offer their prayers to God by bursting crackers.

Mandpathil paatu is an important vazhipaadu done by the devotees for certain special purposes.

The sacred doors of the sanctum sanctorum open in the wee hours of the day, at 4.00 a.m. The blowing of the conch and playing of the temple musical instruments lend an enchanting ritualistic rhythm and peace to those who seek a sure answer to the patient prayers. Sree Mookambika Saraswathy is also believed as present in the temple in the morning. That is why Mookambika Temple at Kollur opens only after the Goddess Saraswathy returns to there late in the morning. Also, it is said that this deity was brought from Mookambika Temple in Kollur, Karnataka and therefore there is a presence of Mookambika (Saraswathy) Devi till 7am in the morning.

After the Athazha pooja (main pooja in the evening), the chief priest of the principal deity comes to Kizhukkavu to perform the famous and great pooja "ValiyaGuruthy" (great Sacrifice). Guruthy is a solution prepared out of turmeric and limewater which looks like blood. The Guruthy is prepared in 12 cauldrons (huge vessel) and is performed at about 8.45 p.m every night. Those who witness the guruthy performance, which itself is awe inspiring and prolonged ceremony, finds it an experience which is indescribable. Earlier 'Guruthi Pooja' was done only on Fridays. But nowadays, it is performed everyday. Being present here during Valiya guruthy on Fridays permanently cures women suffering from mental abnormalities like schizophrenia.

The mentally ill patients are brought and are tied to special posts inside the temple. As soon as they feel the presence of the goddess, especially during the 'Guruthi' time, they go into trance. It is felt that if a mentally disturbed person participates and witnesses this Guruthi daily, the evil spirit which has affected them would leave them and run away.
Temple - The temple is situated in hilly region surrounded on all sides by undulating beauty, rich with its green turf, golden farms and provides deep spritiual solace to the entire devotees. The temple has two sanctums, Keezh Kaavu and Mel Kaavu.

In the main temple, the golden hued idol of Bhagavathy 4 to 5 ft. high, is bedecked with flowers, garlands, jewels and bathed in myriad of lights splendidly. The idol has four arms. The upper right holds the disc, the upper left bears the conch, the lower right hand is held in a boon-conferring pose and the lower left indicates the abhaya (fearlessness) pose. The Bhagavathy is worshipped in three different forms as Saraswathy in the morning clothed in an impeccable white garment, Lakshmi at noon with crimson red cloth and Durga in the evening wearing a bright blue dress. Opposite to the Idol is the 'Balipeetham'.

The original idol of Bhagavathy, three or four feet high which faces east, is of laterite (a type of red soil containing deposits of aluminum and ferric oxides) and is believed to be self-born (swayambhoo). This image called 'Rudraksha Sila' is irregular in shape, red in colour and is untouched by the human sculptor. This image can be seen only in the wee hours of morning at 4 am when the Nada opens for nirmalyam.

The idol of the deity in the temple is not fixed to the ground. Hence the area around the pedestal is full of loose sand. No body knows the reason for this. Water offered during ablution ceremonies percolates underground. It is believed that the water flows underground and joins the tirtha of the Onakkur Bhagawati temple, one and half furlongs away.

There is an granite Idol of Mahavishnu on the same pedestal to the right of Bhagavathy and so the Deity is called Ammenarayana, Devinarayana, Lakshminarayana and Bhadrenarayana also. Along with Lakshmi & Narayana there are idols of Brahma, Siva, Ganapathi (Ganesh), Subramanya and Sastha on the same pedestal. Apart from the main deity, the temple complex consists of Kizhukkavu Bhagavathy temple, temples for Sastha, Siva, Ganapathi, Nagas and other Upa-Devas.

Dharma Sastha shrine is on the north-east side of the main temple. Here he is depicted standing with his consorts, Purna and Pushkala. The vigraha of Sastha is of granite, about half a foot high with golden covering. The golden flagstaff and altar (balipeedam) are in the front of the Sastha shrine.

On the eastern side of the temple pond stands the Kizhukkavu temple. The idol here facing westward is belived to be installed by Villwamangalam Swamiyaar, a saint associated with this shrine. It is believed that worshipping bhadrakali here will exorcise evil influences, psychological ailments, evil spirits etc from devotees. The Bhagavathi in both the Kaavus looks the same. Only difference is the Chakram and Shoolam in her hands.

The Deity at High area is called Shaanta Moorthi and at low area near the temple is called Ugra Moorthi. First you have to visit Shaanta Moorthi and later you have to visit Ugra Moorthi. In return, you have to visit Shaanta Moorthi again.

A platform known as 'Pavazhamallithara', where the deity is believed to have made her first appearance, is on the south of the main temple. Nearby is the images of Nagas and yakshi can be seen.

Near the Keezh Kaavu is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva i.e. on the south-west. The afternoon pooja of Lord Shiva is done with along with drum beats, when we can see the mentally ill patients dance while in a trance.

In a 'Pala' tree outside this temple, nails have been hammered into it by haunted victims with their foreheads as part of a traditional ritual, i.e. the ghosts giving trouble to the mentally ill patients coming here get nailed and become permanently immobile.

Timings - 4 am to 12.15 pm; 4-9 pm.