हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Kadampuzha Devi Temple

At Kadampuzha the Devi has no murti; she is worshipped in a small opening in the ground, as the huntress Parvati who came with Shiva to test Arjuna. Devotees break coconuts in her name to remove obstacles.

Built: Devi shrine without a murti, where the temple holds that Adi Shankaracharya found the Devi’s presenceWhere: Kerala (Malappuram district)Deity: Vana Durga as Kirata-Parvati (Kiratha Parvathi)10.94° N, 76.04° E
Photo: Prof tpms · CC BY-SA 4.0

01The arrow and the huntress

The Vana Parva of the Mahabharata tells how Arjuna did tapas for the Pashupata astra, and Shiva came to test him as a kirata, a hunter, with Parvati beside him as a huntress; the two quarrelled over a boar both had shot, and Arjuna fought the hunter until he knew him for Mahadev. Kadampuzha’s tradition is that the arrow, kadan-ambu, struck here, and Parvati remained as Vana Durga. The temple says Adi Shankaracharya came to this place, sensed the Devi’s presence, and had worship offered at a small hole in the ground; there is still no image.

02Muttarukkal

The chief offering is muttarukkal: a coconut is broken on a stone by the priest in the devotee’s name to cut away an obstacle, mutt, and the sound of coconuts breaking runs all day. Another offering is poomoodal, covering the Devi’s place with flowers. The temple is administered by the Malabar Devaswom Board, and its Thrikarthika festival in Vrischikam is lit with lamps through the night.

Visiting

Kadampuzha is about 25 km from Tirur station and 40 km from Malappuram. Book muttarukkal at the counter.

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