The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu shrine situated at Attukal in Kerala, India. It is located near the centre of the city, two kilometres away from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, East Fort, in Thiruvananthapuram. The goddess of the temple is identified with Bhadrakali, mounted over a vetala (i.e., an evil spirit who haunts cemeteries and takes demonic possession of corpses.). She is also identified with Kannagi, the heroine of Ilango Adigal‘s great Tamil epic Cilappatikaram ( “Story of Anklet”).
History and legend
Silappathikaram, the earliest epic poem in Tamil, written in the 5th–6th century AD by Chera Prince Ilango Adigal (Ilango Adigal). The Silappathikaram is the story of the young merchant Kovalan’s marriage to the virtuous Kannaki (Kannagi), his love for the courtesan Madhavi, and his consequent ruin and exile in Madurai, where he is unjustly executed after trying to sell his wife’s anklet to a wicked goldsmith who had stolen the queen’s anklet and charged Kovalan with the theft.
The widow Kannagi comes to Madurai, proves Kovalan’s innocence, then tears off one breast and throws it at the kingdom of Madurai, which goes up in flames. Kannagi is revered as a goddess of chastity. She cursed the city of Madurai to burn, and it is said that due to her chastity, the curse was fulfilled. Kannagi is said to have attained salvation after the goddess of the city appeared before her.
According to regional legend, it is said that on her way to Kodungallur, Kannagi passed Attukal and found Killi river blocking her way. She assumes the form of a girl and approaches an old man who sat on the banks of the river and asking him if he could help her cross the river. Surprised, to find the young girl alone, he took her home but after some time, she disappeared. She appeared in his dream and asked him to build a temple on the spot he found three golden lines in his grove. The old man did so, which is regarded to be the location of the present Attukal temple.
A different legend identifies the goddess of Attukal as Bhadrakali, who emerged from the third eye of Shiva to slay the asura king Daruka.
In Lalitha Sahasranamavali, 65th shloka says-
Bhanumandala madhyastha bhairavi bhagamalini
padmasana bhagavati padmanabha sahodari
Bhanu mandala madhyastha – She who is in the middle of the sun’s universe
Bhairavi – She who is the consort of Bhairava
Bhaga malini – She who is the goddess bhaga malini
Padmasana – She who sits on a lotus
Bhagavathi – The goddess, one who possesses bhag which is said to have six attributes, viz., Supremacy, Righteousness (Durga), Fame, Prosperity (Lakshmi), Wisdom and discrimination (Saraswathi).
Padmanabha sahodari – She who is the sister of Vishnu.
Thus, Goddess Bhagavathi has the attributes of the three goddesses, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Durga.
Architecture
The temple structure shows a blend of traditional Tamil and Kerala styles of architecture. The beautifully carved figures of Mahishasuramardini, Goddess Kali, Rajarajeswari, Sree Parvathy with Bhagavan Shiva and various other depictions of the Goddess in and around the temple catch the eyes of the devotees. Equally beautiful are the depiction of various other Gods and the epic stories of the ten incarnations of Bhagavan Vishnu viz., the “Dasavathara” that can be seen around the corridors surrounding the temple.
On either side of the elegant front gopura – are the icons based on the story of Goddess Kannagi. On the southern Gopura, the puranic story of “Dakshayaga” is depicted in sculptures. There are two murthis of the Goddess in the sanctum sanctorum. The original murthi is preserved in all its pristine beauty covered in ornamental gold embedded with installed stones. The second murthi of the Goddess is installed besides the original one. The murthi of the Goddess Attukal Bhagavathy emanates spiritual aura invoking the devotion of the pilgrims.
Attukkal Pongala festival
The temple is renowned for the annual Attukal Pongal festival, in which over three million women participate. This festival has figured in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the single largest gathering of women (37 lakh women) for a religious activity. Devotees believe that all of their wishes are fulfilled by the goddess, whose worship make them to attain salvation. The goddess is venerated as all three goddesses of the Tridevi: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati.
Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam is a 10 days festival which falls in February – March every year (Malayalam month of Kumbham). The festival begins on the Karthika star with the traditional Kappukettu (offering of bangles) and Kudiyiruthu (a ritual invoking the Goddess to a temporary shed made of thatched coconut leaves in the temple premises) ceremony, and the murthi of Goddess, is embellished with Kappu (Bangles).
Millions of women gather every year in the month of Kumbham around this temple and prepare Pongala (rice cooked with jaggery, ghee, coconut as well as other ingredients) in the open area surrounding the temple in small pots to please the Goddess Kannagi. Pongala is offered to the presiding deity of the temple – the Goddess –Attukal Amma. As the temple draws a massive crowd of women each year during the famous Attukal Pongala festival, the temple is known as the “Sabarimala of Women”. This sight of women lined up on the streets for kilometers, cooking in unison, is unparalleled and unique. The hymns of the “Thottampattu” (a ballad) sung during this annual temple festival, are based on the story of Kannagi.
Kuthiyottam
Kuthiyottam is a ritual art performed in Bhadrakali temples of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts and is conducted in the Malayalam of month Kumbham (February/March). Kuthiyottam is performed by boys with the hope that the Goddess almighty would be pleased to bestow on them health, wealth and happiness. Boys aged between 8 to 12 years make the offering of Kuthiyottam.
These young boys represent the wounded soldiers of the Goddess Mahishasura Mardini. On the third day of the festival these young boys receive the prasadam (offering) from the temple priest and start a seven-day penance to purify their body and mind. During this penance they have to pass through rigorous physical and mental discipline such as sleeping on mat, observing strict diet restrictions, staying in the temple etc.
Trivandrum city where the Attukkal Bhagavathi temple is located is the capital city of Kerala and easily approachable by road, train and air. Those who visit Anatha Padmanabha Swamy temple in Trivandrum make it a point to visit Attukkal Bhagavathi temple as well in their pilgrimage.
Reference:
