KADAMPUZHA

Kadampuzha (meaning Forest River) is 2 km east from the Vettichira Junction situated in National Highway-17, between Valancheri and Kottakkal. Pilgrims can alight at Vettichira and take an Autorikshaw or Jeep or local bus to Kadampuzha. The shortest route is to Perinthalmanna (through Pang-Padapparamb-Puzhakkattiri), though bus services are very less in this route. Nearest airport: Kozhikode Airport, 30 km. Nearest railway stations: Tirur, 16 km & Kuttippuram,22 km.

Story - During the divine couple's wandering in this forest, Sreeparvathi once felt thirsty and the Lord brought forth holy water from river Ganga through a well directed arrow ino the earth. This event is immortalised as KaatanAmbu-eitha-ala where kaatan is hunter, ambu is arrow, eitha is shot and ala is hole. This became Katanambueithaala which was later colloquialised as Kadampuzha.

Parvati Devi Temple

Story 1 - After losing the game of dice to the Kauravas, the Pandavas went to the forests to spend 12 years Vanavasam as per the condition. Knowing that the lost lands and riches cannot be achieved without war with the Kauravas, Arjuna started a tapas towards Lord Shiva praying for Pashupatastram. Though satisfied with his tapas, Lord Shiva decided to test Arjuna before granting him his wishes. Disguised as tribals, Shiva and Parvati went near Arjuna. Meantime, Duryodhana had come to know of the penance by Arjuna and in order to disturb the tapas, he sent Mukhasura. Mukhasura came near Arjuna in the form of a Wild Boar. However, Lord Shiva the tribal killed him with his arrow. Not knowing that the boar had been killed, Arjuna also got up from his penance and took aim on the dead boar with his bow and arrow. The tribal said, "O Arjuna, when I have already killed the boar why do you wastefully take aim on the dead animal? If you think you are a great warrior then fight with me." Irritated, Arjuna accepted the challenge and a fierce fight broke out between the two. Seeing this Parvati Devi requested to Lord Shiva to stop the fight and grant Arjuna his wish and told Arjuna that the tribal was the Lord Shiva to please whom he had been medidating for so long. However, Arjuna did not believe it and kept throwing arrows on the tribal. Angered, the Devi cursed that all the arrows being released by Arjuna should turn into Thechi flowers. When Arjuna continued to shower arrows on Shiva, Devi further cursed that he become exhausted of all arrows. Insulted, Arjuna started fighting with the tribal with bare hands. However, he was felled and rendered unconsious by a single blow of the tribal. When he regained his senses, Arjuna realised that he had been fighting with Lord Shiva all along. He fell at the Lord's feets and asked for forgiveness. Lord Shiva gave him his darshan alongwith Parvati Devi and also the Pashupatastram. Goddess Parvati who took the form of the adivasi is worshipped here as the Kadampuzha devi. The goddess hastended the grant of divine powers to Arjuna. Hastening is twaritha in Malayalam and so the Goddess at Kadampuzha is worshipped as Twaritha or one who is quick in granting blessings and favours.

Story 2 - Shankaracharya during once of his frequent pilgrimages while traversing this forest area was attracted by an all pervading 'aura' emanating from the dense undergrowth. Finding it difficult to approach the spot due to the heat generated by the radiation, he meditated upon Lord Vishnu as Narasimha and the Lord appeared. With the help of Sudarshanachakra of Lord Vishnu the great saint moved closer only to find the radiance shrinking and finally vanishing into a hole on the earth's surface. Through deep meditation using the 'Divyachakshussu', the Aacharya discerned the nature of the phenomenon nothing other than the divine presence of Seeparvathi in the forest. The place was consecrated as a temple and in commemoration of 'showers of flowers' , Poomoodal gained prominence due to the inherent quality and power of flower petals to contain heat. In this effort, Shankaracharya was helped by a Varrier family. Even today this Varrier family lives near the temple and manages it.

Temple - The temple is more than 1900 years old. The sanctum is 4 feet long and 3 feet wide and is made of black stone. In the middle of it is the hole, 6 inches in circumferance, into which the divine light had entered. Devotees worship this hole through which river Ganga sprouted and this is the idol sankalpa. All the poojas are performed to the idol of Goddess Parvati above this hole. The idol in the Sanctum Sanctorum is abstract in shape but it is 'Swayambhoo' or natural manifestation. The temple is very simple in architecture without any imposing edifices or a gold-plated flagmast. To reduce the anger of the Goddess, Shri Narashimha and Shri Sudarshana have also been consecrated separately outside the sanctum, in front of the Sreekovil. There are enclosures for Sree Dharma Sastha and Nagakanyaka as upadevaas or subsidiary deities. Modalities of worship are as prescribed by Shankaracharya.

Prayers - The shower of arrows-turned into flowers is symbolised here by a unique offering to the Goddess, Poomoodal, the Swayambhoo Sthanam being covered completely by flowers. This is done every Friday night. Petals of Thechi flowers are mandatory since they resemble arrowheads. The quantity required is 12 Kutanna, one Kutanna being the capacity when two cupped palms are held together. Goddess here is worshipped as a huntress in three forms viz., Vidya Durga (Saraswathi), Vanadurga (Durga) and Aadi Durga (MooladurgaLakshmi). As Durga, She blesses the devotees with health, early marriage and domestic harmony. Saraswathi is invoked for education and career. Lakshmi is of course Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Another unique offering here is Muttarukkal or Muttirakkal where coconuts brought by devotees are broken by the Poojari in front of Devi's idol in the presence of the devotees themselves and this is to ward off hostile influences plaguing them. The priest shouts out the name of the devotee and the specific aspect of life (example: health, education or employment) and breaks the coconut. It the coconut is found to be of bad quality or if the broken halves are not found even, it is believed that, the problem is not yet solved and the devotee has to bring a new coconut and brake it again. The ritual is conducted only during specific hours of the day, resulting in the queues. One coconut for every obstacle is the system followed. The popularity of this ritual can be gauged from the figure of more than thirty lakhs of coconuts that are brought to the temple every year by the stream of devotees.

Timings - This temple is open from 6 Am to 12 Noon and in the evenings between 5 PM to 6 PM. No body goes to the temple after 6 PM.