Main God:
Arulmigu Bhagavathi Amman
Location:
Arulmigu Bhagavathyamman Thirukkoil,,
Mandaikadu,
Kanyakumari District – 629 702.
Festivals:
- Every year last Tuesday in the tamil month of “MASI” was celebrated as Mandaikadu Kodai Festival. Festival will start ten days prior to this Tuesday.ie, Sunday with flag hoisting in flag mast of the temple.
- At the time of flag hoisting , morning priest along with devotees went for a holy bath and return with a pot of holy water .that holy water will sprayed all over the temple premises and cleaned. Then only the festival will start.
- In continuation with this throughout 10 days every day 8.30 pm after the poojas held over, the goddess will procession around the temple streets.
- It is a sixth day festival which held on Friday within the kodai festival. Even though poojas done for all 10 days.Pooja done at 8.30 pm in this sixth day has more importance and speciality.Lot of devotees will take part in this occasion.
- Odukku Pooja was held on the tenth day night at 1am.this is the last pooja of mandaikadu kodai festival.
- Once the kodai festival was over , coming eighth day Tuesday will be called as Ettam Kodai. In the Ancient days , people around the nearby village peoples took part in this occasion. But nowadays people from all over district and nearby kerala state coming in large numbers to celebrate this festival.
- Special bus services are operated from nearby towns for the devotees transportation.
- In the tamil month of panguni,star panguni will occur on one day. that day will be celebrated as bharani kodai. Peoples around the mandaikadu area believe that goddess mandaikadu Amman born in this day.
Worship Timings:
Thirupalliyezhuchi 4.00 am
Nadaithirappu(opening time) 4.30 am
Abhishegam 5.00 am
Morning Pooja 6.00 am
Noon Pooja 12.00 noon
Nadaicharththal(closing time ) 1.00 pm
Nadaithirappu(opening time) 6.30 pm
Sayaratchai pooja 6.30 pm
History:
Mandaikadu is located at 2 kms away from the historic place Kulachalthurai.The world famous Bhagavathyamman temple is located here. Every year people is celebrating the festival “KodaiVizha” during the month of Masi. Keralites undergo 41 days fasting and reach this temple by walk. On the last Tuesday of Masi, Kodai Vizha is celebrated. On this day , a special pooja on night called “odukku pooja” is also conducted. The goddess idol is made up of sand hill. It is believed that this idol is increasing in size by every year. Once upon a time, this place was filled with herds. A cowboy found the blood while cutting the grass. By hearing the boy’s noise, people came there and created sand hill and started worshiping it.
His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya was performing Srichakra Puja with his Kerala disciples here. One day the Chakra did not turn back after the puja was over as usual. The Acharya stayed here itself and attained Samadhi. It is on this spot where the Srichakra existed, the anthill began to grow. Children playing this side and hitting the anthill were injured. Marthanda Varma, the king of Kerala came to know of these developments and built a temple and performed pujas regularly. Gradually, the temple assumed significance among the devotees. Today is a famous temple blessing the devotees.
Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Amman Temple is known as a Sabarimala for Women. The 15 feet tall anthill is the Bhagavathi amman. Women visit the temple with the Irumudi (a bundle containing puja items for the Goddess) as men go to Sabarimala.
