Information of Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple (Dakshina Mookambika Temple), Kottayam, Kerala

Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple (Panachikkadu Dakshina Mookambika Temple) is a beautiful Hindu goddess temple specially built for Saraswathi Devi, nearly 1000 years ago by a local Brahmin family. This temple is also well known as the Mookambika of south. This is a cultural temple and conducts many traditional songs and dance festival. It is also an important place for literary writers. This temple is open throughout the year and the Vidhyarambha is conducted in the temple except on the festival days. It is divinely located in Panachikkadu Village, Kottayam District of Kerala State in India.

Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple Religious Significance

The Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple is seen as Swaraswathi in her natural form; since many Hindus believe this temple's main deity is found in a natural spring and water always touch her feet surrounded with Saraswathi leaves in a spring pond. Because Saras literally means stream of waters and Swathi is honoring a women. The Himalayan River is also called in her name as Saraswathi River. Hence the Swaraswathi Devi is worshiped here with great devotion to see in her natural state. This temple is mostly seen with small children's who were brought here for the first alphabet writing know as Vidhyarambam. This is done for all Hindu keralites as a holy beginning towards the education, since Swaraswathi Devi is the Goddess of knowledge and art. This is a rear temple to seen open throughout the year since many Swaraswathi temples are kept open in the time of Navarathi only. This temple does have the sub deities of Maha Vishnu, lord Vinayaka and Yakshi.

Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple Mythology & History

Nearly 1000 years ago a childless Namboothri went to the Varanasi to take a holy dip in the River Ganges. On his return he visited the Mookambika Temple in Southern Karnataka. He was charmed by her glory and spent a year time there by doing prayers to her. One day she came in his dream and mentioned about a lady who was carrying a twins and she could provide you one of her baby. By this he returned back to his native. He once took bath in a pond and while trying to lift his palm made umbrella, it was unable to lift. He was surprised by this act and a nearby person informed him that the Devi is holding this umbrella and to release it you have to bring her idol from the forest. As per his advice he did the same and the umbrella was released. This incident made this place for the presence for Swaraswathi Devi and a temple was built by him later on. Still now this temple is maintained by the Nampoothris generation.

Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple Architectural Significance

This is great temple surrounded in a lush green pasture land. This is a Kerala style temple built out of laterite stone and woods. The main entrance is a single stored traditional house like structure with remarkable wood works on it. The entire temple is covered with terracotta tiles and is found with many triangular domes. There are unique free masonry works found on its foundations and walls. The importance of this temple is that the main deity is kept open in a temple pond, which has a natural spring is seen perennial. The whole temple water needs are brought from here. The first sanctum sanctorum is of Lord Vishnu's. The other complexes houses Lord Vinayaka and Yakshi. This is a vast temple and has many open places to perform many temple ceremonial activities for its devotees.

Festivals at Panachikkadu Dakshina Mookambika Temple

The Navarathri is the important festival conducted in the Panachikkadu Saraswathi Temple in between October and November month. This is a two week festivals celebrated here with presence of lakhs of devotees from Kerala State. Many cultural dance and programmes are conducted here with color full lights and sounds. It villagers do put vendor stall on the way to temple for its devotees to buy art crafts and pooja materials. More of all, one can also enjoy the local delicious delicacies as well as enjoy the traditional ways of celebration which is slowly losing importance. But here you are sure to be feast with grandeur.