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{{Short description|Hindu temple in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Tone|date=December 2007}}
}}

{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple
| image = Kodikkunnu_Bhagavathi_Temple.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = 
| map_caption = Location in Kerala
| coordinates =
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Kerala]]
| district =
| location = [[Pallippuram, Palakkad|Pallippuram]], [[Pattambi]], [[Palakkad]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Durga]] and [[Shiva]]
| festivals=
| architecture = [[South Indian]], [[Temple]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed = unknown
| creator = Unknown
| website =
}}

The '''Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple''' or '''Kodikkunnu Ambalam''' is a famous [[Hindu]] [[temple]] dedicated to Goddess [[Durga]] located in the village of [[Pallippuram, Palakkad|Pallippuram]], near [[Pattambi]], in [[Palakkad]] district of [[Kerala]], [[India]]. The goddess is commonly referred to as the '''Bhagavathy''' or '''Kodikkunnathamma'''.

The word "kunnu" means hill in [[Malayalam]] language. Literally, Kodikkunnu Temple would thus mean the temple situated on top of the hill called "Kodi". Kodikkunnu is near to Pallippuram railway station and can be accessed from Valanchery, Pattambi and Thrithala, by road.

The main deity is ''Amma'' means Mother and there is [[Shiva|Siva]] also with almost same importance. To the left of Bhagavathy is the idol of [[Ganapathi]]. People come from distant places to worship the goddess.

The temple has ''nada'' (holy entrance) from 3 directions, viz., north, east and west. The door towards the south is permanently closed. Vehicles can reach the immediate temple premises as there is road reaching the temple. From all three directions there are granite stone-paved steps to reach the temple.

==Mythology==
[[File:Chirankara Pooram Ana.JPG|thumb|left|200px| Chirankara Pooram, Ezhunnallathu, the holy procession]]All believed in a legend that at some time in the past there was a poor widow and three children living in a house, across the river. She used to tend cows and every morning she would take the milk to the temple, which she exchanged for cooked rice for the day. Once the river was full and the boatman did not dare to make it across. The widow returned and told the children that there would not be any rice till the risen river-waters subsided. She gave boiled milk to the children and put them to bed. At midnight someone knocked on the front door and she found an old woman on the door step all covered up and drenched. The nocturnal visitor placed a brass vessel full of rice in front of the widow and commanded: "Wake the children up and feed them!" And the figure vanished. After the floods receded, the widow went to the temple with the usual supply of milk. When she discussed the incident with the priest, he was astonished. The priest found that the vessel the widow had left in the temple in which she used to collect the rice had been missing from the [[sanctum sanctorum]] for the last three days. [[File:Chirankara Pooram Thara2.JPG|thumb|left|200px| Thara visiting houses during "Pooram"]]

There is a grandmother too, the mother of Kodikkunnu Goddess. She is the chief deity of Muthassiar Kavu (literally, grandmother's temple) near [[Pattambi]]. According to one legend the Grandmother Goddess and her three beautiful daughters (including Kodikkunnathamma) were strolling along the river bed on a summer night. They saw a dance festival by the Harijans (low-caste [[Hindu]]s) and the youngest daughter was so carried away by it, that she refused to go along when it was time to leave. The mother ordered her to be with the Harijans and perform as their guardian deity. This is the popular belief on the origin of Kanakkar Kavu (Kanakkar is a sect of Harijans).[[File:Chirankara Pooram Thara.JPG|thumb|right|200px| Chirankara Pooram, Thara]]

On another occasion the two sisters quarreled after witnessing the ritual of an animal sacrifice. As the younger one was so much engrossed in the gory scene, the elder one parted company and settled down in Kodikkunnu. The younger sister shifted to [[Kodungallur]] where blood sacrifices were a common ritual until the recent past. And the two sisters are still angry with the other sister that they have closed their temple doors that face towards Kodungallur. So in Kanakkarkavu and Kodikkunnu Temple there is no "thekke nada" (entrance from south). [[File:Chirankara Pooram Parappoothan.JPG|thumb|right|200px| Chirankara Pooram, Parappoothan]]

==Temple Festivals==

===Chirankara Pooram===
.[[File:Chirankara Pooram Kala.JPG|thumb|left|200px| Chirankara Pooram, People bringing "Kettukalas" to the temple]]Chirankara '''pooram''' (temple festival) is the main festival of Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple. This festival is conducted at Chirankara Mahavishnu temple which is known as the "Keezhekkavu" of Kodikkunnathamma. Chirankara temple is dedicated to [[Vishnu]] and "pooram" festivals are normally conducted in Durga temples only. But this [Pooram] is conducted there on behalf of Kodikkunnathamma. The area under Pallippuram is divided into smaller administrative geographical units called "desam". From every desam people will send different type of dancers called "Pootan" and "Thara" for performance at the temple during the festival. [[File:Chirankara Pooram Melam.JPG|thumb|right|200px| Chirankara Pooram, Melam]]

The main attractions during the pooram is [[Chenda]] melam, [[Thayambaka]] and [[Panchvadyam]]. From every desam people will bring "Kaala"(decorated artificial bullock pairs). At the end of the day there will be "Vedikkettu"(fireworks) which is a very enchanting sight to see.

===Kathiratta Vela===
The other important festival associated with the temple is the '''Kathiratta Vela''' (Festival of Harvest) that is celebrated after the every years harvest. This ‘vela’ is essentially a thanksgiving gesture to the Goddess for having given rich harvest. Kathiratta vela is conducted in the temple premises.[[File:Kathiratta Vela Parappoothan.JPG|thumb|right|200px| Parappoothan visiting houses during Kathirattavela]]
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chirankarasreemahavishnutemple.com/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=31 March 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130410172459/http://www.chirankarasreemahavishnutemple.com/ |archive-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Temples of Kerala]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
* [https://archive.is/20130410172459/http://www.chirankarasreemahavishnutemple.com/ Main website]

{{coord missing|Kerala}}

{{Hindu temples in Kerala}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Palakkad district]]
[[Category:Shiva temples in Kerala]]
[[Category:Durga temples]]
[[Category:Bhagavathi temples in Kerala]]

Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple - Revision history

>Jaysonsands at 22:40, 22 May 2021