Arathil Bhagawathi temple

Arathil Bhagawathi temple

By

P.R.Ramachander
(You may find lot more information about this temple in the web site of the temple viz. www.arathilkavu.com )
Arathil Bhagawathi temple is a very famous located in Kayalod near Pinarai which is near the KoothuParamba town of Malabar. Apart from Arathil Bhagawathi the temple the temple also has separate temples of Pazhassi devi, Kakkara Bhagawathi , Kelan kulangara Bhagawathi, Sasthappan (Another name for Ayyappan) , Gulikan (Son of Saturn) and Vishnu Moorthi.
There are some interesting stories about its origin. It seems as per the wishes of Lord Parasurama, a Brahmin family in Syamanthaka Panchakam(which is in present Haryana) migrated to Gokarnm along with the Deity of the Goddess they used to worship. At that time The king of Kolathu Nadu in Kerala had quarreled with the Namboothiris who had settled down in his place and they were not cooperating with him. The ministers of the king advised him to bring a noble Brahmin family from outside the king dom. The king himself went to Gokarnam and invited the Brahmins from Syamanthaka Panchakam to settle down in his place. They wanted the king to build a suitable temple for their Goddess. The king agreed and gave them the villages of 1) Arathil 2) Cheruthazham, 3) Kannur, 4)Kulappuram and 5)Vara ruchi mangalam. The 235 families of those Brahmins settled down in these villages. The king also built a temple for their Goddess in the Arathil village. From then on the Kolathu Nadu became prosperous along with the Brahmins who settled down there. Thinking that they were the cause of the prosperity , the Brahmins started quarrelling with the king and slowly started neglecting the temple. Then their prosperity diminished and for a period of 16 years the temple was even closed. The local population who had benefitted from the Goddess , again repaired the temple and started performing the usual worships and they again got back their prosperity.
Pazhassi Bhagwathi , is presumed to be the Daughter of Yasoda who was brought to Mathura by Vasudeva , the father of Lord Krishna. She is fiery by nature and after having her temples in various places has also settled down in the Arathil Bhagwathi temple and is considered as the protector of the Goddess Bhagwathi. The other Gods also joined in the temple. The pooja for these temples are conducted as of now by the Namboodiris of Keezhara illam.
The most important festival of the temple is the Thira festival, where the theyyams of all the Gods perform the ceremonial dance. The Thira festival will be held in the Malayalam month of Meenam on 13th ,14th and 15th (March 27th, 28th and 29th) This has been ongoing without any interruption ever since very smoothly. The same team who conducts the thira festival of Arathil Sree Bhadrapuram Temple also is conducting this Thira festival of these four Bhagavathis and Sree Bhootham.
On All 32 days if KARKIDAKAM (July-August) month GANAPATHI HOMAM and Neyppayasam offerings can be made by Devotees on payment .On Vrishchikam (November-December) 1st and 40th day of Mandalam , CHUTTUVILAKKU will be conducted at the temple. This again can be done as offerings to Arathil Bhagavathi by devotees on payment of 1200/-(One thousand and two hundred only)per chuttuvilakku.