Pallathamkulangara Bhagavathi Temple
The Pallathamkulangara Bhagavathy Temple is one of the ancient temples in Kerala, situated in the heart of thickly populated island of Vypin, at Kuzhuppilly, North-West to the city of Kochi (Cochin).
The deity here is Parasakthi, (the Supreme Mother Goddess) in the nature of Durga Bhagavathy in Her full grandeur. Eaka Vigraha Prathishta (Single Deity; there are no sub-deities) is a specialty here and the temple is built facing west. The temple is also blessed with the divine presence of 'Budhan' (The Lord of Education).
Main festivals of this temple are "Thalappoli", "Vela", "Padayani" & "Thookkam" comes in the Malayalam month of Kumbam (in February - March) from the day of "Thiruvonam" to "Bharani".
Main festivals of this temple are "Thalappoli", "Vela", "Padayani" & "Thookkam" comes in the Malayalam month of Kumbam (in February - March) from the day of "Thiruvonam" to "Bharani".
The Legend
The annals says, when the internationally famed major port of the ancient world ‘Muzaris’ (present Kodungallur) was destroyed in the great flood of Periyar River in 1341 A.D., the backwaters of ‘Kochazhi’ (a minor port; present Kochi) and the island of Vypin (land formed from sea)came into lime light.
It is widely believed that, around 700 years back the place where the temple now stands was sea, from there some fishermen got an astonishing Devi Idol, the present ‘Moola Vigraham’ (crux- idol) & they handed it over to their ‘Desa Pramani‘ (chieftain of the area). Later, the sea retreated from that area and the idol was divinely fixed at a place on the newly formed land (in a crude form of Malayalam language it is called as ‘Pallath’). The said legend has its backing from astrologers also, as so revealed from ‘Devaprasna’(The astrological way of discussing and determining wishes of a deity or sub-deities on all matters relating to the temple concerned.)
Since the temple was built on a ‘Pallath’ it was called as "Pallath Temple", later the temple came to be known by the name ‘Pallathamkulangara Devi Temple’.
It is also revealed in ‘Devaprasna’ that ‘Budha’, the Lord of Wisdom bestows his divine presence at this temple hence, students often offer ‘Vidya Manthra Archana’ here, for attaining academic excellence.
