Mangottu Kavu

Mangottu kavu
By
P.R.Ramachander
This temple is situated in a place called Athipotha, which is 24 km from Palakkad. From
Palakkad you have to go via Alathur. The goddess in this temple is supposed to be in her
very fierce form. She is also considered as the younger sister of Parakkattu Bhagwathi
who has a temple in Kavasseri.
Mangottu Bhagawathi is supposed to have come to this place to fulfill the desire of a
weaver. This weaver was a great devotee of the Goddess. His name was Kuttan. He and
his people used to weave cloths and sell it in places where festivals are held. It seems in
one place, he was so enchanted by the Devi there that he mentally requested her to come
along with him. At that time, there was a whirl wind which removed the cloths of the
idol of the Goddess which was being brought in procession, Kuttan immediately threw,
the cloth that he has brought to sell on the goddess. This cloth fell on the Goddess and got
attached there. Next day Kuttan returned to his village. He was carrying an Umbrella. At
a particular point he got so tired that he kept the Umbrella on floor and slept near by.
When he woke up, he was not able to remove the umbrella from the ground. An
astrologer was summoned who told Kuttan that the Goddess has occupied the Umbrella
and she wants to live in this place. Then the astrologer threw the stick in his hand and
told that a temple should be built where it falls. This place is the present Athipotha.
In the month of Medam (April-May) there will be a festival in this temple for seven
days, after the first Sunday of that month. Apart from that after the Pooram festival of
Parakkattu Bhagawathi temple, that Bhagawathi shuts her temple and comes and stays in
Athipotha for seven days in the month of Meenam (March-April) .
This is a very important temple and various types of worship are offered at this
temple. Some of them are Pana Patasam,Ney Payasam, Tri kala pooja, Chandattam,
Sahasranama pooja etc. There are also special poojas along with chanting of Eika mathya
Sooktham , Sri Sooktham and Bhagya Suktham.
There is a separate temple for Ganesa in side the temple. Just outside is the temple of
Mookan Chathan.