Mandaikkad Bhagavathy Amman Temple (Parvathy temple)

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Temples and their timeless rituals often are the periscopes through which we  glimpse the life and practices of yore. History and lore have a way of being inseparably intertwined, more so in the case of ancient temples. The Mandaikkad temple is no exception in this regard.

Mandaikkad is a familiar name in the pilgrim circuit, and the temple there is equally popular in Tamil Nadu and in Kerala, especially with women pilgrims. The temple, hardly 4 km from Colachel, has a proud moniker 'women's Sabarimala'; as is the practice with the famous shrine at Sabarimala, serious pilgrimage calls for a 41-day 'vritham' (observance of purity and piety) and an 'Irumudi' ( a twin bundle of offerings, symbolizing the good and the bad 'karma'). The temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvathi, the consort of Siva, and dates back to the 17th C. The unique thing about the temple is that there is no idol in the sanctum-- the Goddess is supposed to be ensconced within a huge ant-hill about 15 feet high, and supposed to be still growing slowly.

Lore has it that long back Sage Sankaracharya, passing through the locality with his disciples, was offering Srichakra Puja at this very site. After the puja, the sage could not move the Srichakram. Realizing the spiritual significance of the place, he opted to stay here till he attained Samadhi. It is said that an ant-hill began to grow at the very spot. King Marthanda Varma had subsequently ordered the construction of a temple there. Ancient manuscripts link the temple to Kumara Pillai of Konnakode family, a local chieftain and a gifted physician from the Kalkulam Taluk of erstwhile Travancore. Later the family apparently incurred the ire of Veluthampi Dalava, the king's powerful minister, and the temple was taken over forcefully. With the re-organization of States, the old Travancore temple, along with the areas south of Parassala, went to Tamil Nadu. But that has not in the least affected its popularity.

The temple rituals are still conducted in the traditional tantric stream of Kerala, with four pujas every day. As with most Devi temples, Pongala is a popular offering here too. What is strange is that there is no ban on offering non-veg food as part of the Pongala. Mandaikkad being a fisher village in the olden days, it is easy to see how an offering of rice and fish might have been a popular offering to the Goddesss-- a practice that has stood the test of time. Pongala can be offered every day of the year and nearby shops provide all the requisite stuff to the pilgrims.

When it comes to antiquity or architectural grandeur, the shrine might be no match to the grand temples of Kerala and Tamil Nadu; but the huge numbers of devotees the temple attracts yearly places it right at the top with the major centres of pilgrimage in the South.

The annual festival --Kodai Vizha, or Mandaikkad Koda-- falls in March and draws huge crowds from diverse corners of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Common belief is that after making the Pongala offering, one has to wash oneself in the sea. For the traveller too a visit to the nearby beach offers a beautiful and relaxing vista. If you are driving from Kanyakumari on the coastal road to Trivandrum, the temple and the beach offer a worthwhile and calming stopover, both spiritually and physically, the historic Colachel being a bonus for the avid traveller.

A historical note: https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/a-new-chapter/article20103678.ece

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