Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple

The Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple is positioned in Mullassery, Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali. The temple is managed by the Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Kshetram Trust.

Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple, Karakulam,Kerala

History
Puja Timings
Festivals
Special Rituals
How to Reach
Videos

The history says that Darika, the demon who received a boon from Lord Brahma which granted that he would never be defeated by any man living in any of the fourteen worlds of Hindu mythology. This made Darika immensely powerful and arrogant. Losing his control, Darika went on to conquer the world, defeating Lord Indra, the King of Gods. Shocked by his intolerable atrocities, all the Devas including the divine sage Narada, complained to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva agreed, circumventing Lord Brahma’s boon by declaring that Darika would be killed by Goddess Kali. Since, no man could defeat Darika, Lord Shiva opened his fierceful third eye and created Goddess Kali, whose purpose was to destroy Darika. The Goddess, being a woman, and the one not born among the humans, did so by beheading him. The Goddess didn’t stop with Darika. Unable to control her rage, she began destroy the landscape and the very humans for whose sake she had destroyed Darika. The Gods could not defeat her, and she was finally calmed when Shiva lay on the ground in front of her, submitting.

Temple is opened from 4 AM to 12.30 PM and 4 PM to 7.30 PM.

The temple is famous for its rituals during the annual festival held usually between February and March. The other two major festivals, Dikkubali Mahotsavam is celebrated once in three years and the Paranettu Mahotsavam is celebrated once in six years. These festivals begin in the Malayalam month of Kumbham in the Bharani Nakshatra. Hence all these festivals are called as the Kumbhabharani Mahotsavam.

Swayamvara Parvathy Pooja is performed on the Festival time, on the third day of the annual festival. Enormous number of girls participate in this pooja to remove their Dhoshas on their marriage. On the auspicious day Devi Thirukalyanam, thousands of people visit the temple to participate in the Thirukalyanam.

Grahalekshmi Pooja, which is seen only in this temple in kerala, attracts many devotees, as it removes the presence Durdevatas from their houses.

Balithooval Pooja is performed on the fifth day of the annual festival. It is performed to remove Drishti dhosham, Vilidhosham, Black Magic and all the evil attachments. It believed that on this pooja the presiding deity’s bhoothaganams remove these dhosham from the people who participate in this pooja and also to the people who watching this pooja.

Sarpaballi is performed by the Kshetra thantri, on Festival day. This pooja is conducted to get rid of Sarppadhoshas.

Kalamkaval is a famous custom practiced at the temple premises and nearby places during festival. It is believed that the Goddess Bhadrakali searches her enemy demon, Daaruka in all directions before putting him to death. Devotees commemorate this legend by seeing this unique Kalamkaval. Kalamkaval is the ritual in which chief priest, carries the idol on his head and performs some trance like dances until he is unconscious. During kalamkaval, chief priest wears anklet and thiruvabharam (traditional gold ornaments of goddess that includes kappu, vanki, odyanam, paalakka mala, pichi mottu mala, muthu mala etc.). All people believe that the priest gets strength to carry on the trance with the idol on his head, due to the blessings of the Devi enshrined in the temple.

Pongala

Pongala at Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple is celebrated during the Malayalam month of Kumbham on the Punartham Nakshatram (Punarvasu Nakshatra). Pongala is the rice cooked with jaggery, ghee, coconut as well as other ingredients in the open in small pots by women to please the Goddess. In Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple Pongal Thousands and Thousands of Women from different places came and put pongala to makes their wishes true.

Muttarappu, Naranga vilakku, Guruthi pooja , Neeranjanam for Thamburan, Bhagyasooktharchana , Ikyamathyarchana , Saraswathimantrarchana , Akathunivedhyam, Thattam pooja, Ganapathy pooja, Naagarchana, Naagar pooja , Ganapathy Homam, Ishwarya pooja and Swayamvararchana.

Info on the deity – Specific to the temple deity

The temple enshrines Goddess Bhadrakali as the presiding Deity. The idol stands for Goddess Bhadrakali, the daughter of Lord Shiva. Goddess Kali is situated toward the north (vadakke nada). The idol is known in the local Malayalam language as Thirumudi. The idol of the Goddess in the Pathiyanadu temple is one of the largest among the idols of Kerala Kali temples. The idol is four and a half feet in height as well as width. Other deities worshipped at the Pathiyanadu Sree Bhadrakali Temple called Upadevatha’s temples include Lord MahaGanapathy and Nagaraja. The temple also has a small sub-temple where another deity Madan Thampuran is enshrined.

By Road

The temple is well connected by roads. Buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws are available frequently to reach the temple. It is 1.5 kilometres from Karakulam. It is 12.5 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram.

By Rail

The nearest rail head is the Thrissur Railway station at a distance of 15 kms from Mullassery.

By Air:

The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport at a distance of 60 kms from the temple.