Information of Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala

The Chottanikkara temple belongs to the Hindu faith and is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, a mother goddess. It is located in the situated in the suburbs of Kochi of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala, India. This temple is widely revered not only for its sanctity and purity but it is also famed for its marvelous wooden architecture. The temples architecture is a reflection of the ancient art of wood sculpting known as the "vishwakarma sthapathis" which can be seen in temples such as those of Sabarimala. This temple is one of the most visited places of worship by the people living in the nearby areas as Goddess Bhagwati is worshipped and looked upon by all as a mother figure who solves their problems. The main powers of this temple is said to be the curing of ailments of sick people by the deity of this temple, and therefore it sees many devotees who come to get cured when all medicines seem to fail.

Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple Religious Significance

The main deity or the presiding deity of this temple is Goddess Bhagwati who is worshipped in the form of Chottanikkara Devi. The Devi takes three forms which changes with the time of the day. In the morning she is draped in white and worshipped as Saraswati, at noon she is draped in crimson and worshipped as Lakshmi while in the evenings she is draped in blue and worshipped as Durga. The temple is visited by devotees from far and wide but it is especially visited by devotees whose ailments could not be cured by medicine. It is said that the Goddess cures here sick devotees when they come to visit her.

The temple recognizes and celebrates almost all of the Hindu festivals but the main temple festival is the Chottanikkara Makam Thozhal. This festival is celebrated by taking the Devi to the holy pond of on the northern side of the temple for a ritualistic bath. After the bath she is accompanied by Lord Sastha and taken to Pooraparambhu which is the traditional vantage point on the back of eleven caparisoned elephants where she is kept till 11 am. Then she is taken to the sanctum sanctorum whose door remains closed from noon to 2 pm. When the door of the sanctum sanctorum opens she is can be seen in her full glory decorated with precious stones, gold ornaments, and garlands. This is known as "Makaram darsanam" it is believed that when one sees the Devi during this time all their prayers are answered. The temple has immense importance from religious point of view as devotees from all religion come to offer prayers and take darshan and seek blessing from the deity.

Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple Mythology & History

It is said that the place where the temple stands today was a dense forest which was infested with demons and Yakshis. This forest was also home to a tribesman called Kannappan who was an ardent follower of the Goddess Kali. He would sacrifice a cow every Friday to please her and one day he found a black calf near the forest that he was about to sacrifice but his daughter stopped him. She wanted to keep it as her pet which he allowed however the next morning she died and the calf went missing. When Kannappan searched for the calf all he found were two stones where the calf was supposed to be. With time the stones were forgotten however after many years when a woodcutter came across them and sharpened his axe on them, it started bleeding. A devaprasam was conducted which concluded in the stones being declared divine.

One night a Brahmin was walking alone when he met a lone woman who he offered to escort home. The Brahmin went to the priestess of the temple with the woman and when he met the priestess she said that the woman was in fact a yakshi. The Brahmin started to run and just as soon as he reached the temples main altar, the goddess jumped out and killed the yakshi. After that she went to wash herself at the pond. It was at this pond the idol of temple was found centuries later by Vilvamangalam of Guruvayoor.

Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple Architectural Significance

The temple is one of the most beautifully carved temples in Kerala. The wooden sculptures are the most marvelous specimens of the architecture and similar ones can be found in Sabarimala. This form of sculpture is known as "vishwakarma sthapathis". The incredible form of architecture of the temple and the intricate work add more to the beauty of the temple and to its holiness.

Come and seek blessing of the almighty and enjoy live life in a blissful way.