Mahishasura Mardhini Temple, Valvachagostam – Legends
Valvachagostam:
It is
believed that Parasurama, who had killed his mother Renuka to satisfy the
wishes of his father, wanted his sin to be forgiven. So, on the advice of
Brahmins he went to Himalayas. He left his sword in his village (Val = sword,
Vacha = keeping, Goshtam = temple). There the Chera King is said to have constructed
a big temple at this place and dedicated it to the Goddess Bhagavathi.
Srikoil and Marudha Mandapam:
The
story goes that Kalisankara Variyar (belonging to the ambalavaasi community –
serving the temple) was an ardent Devi devotee and a tantric too. He was
working as an accountant to Edathara Potti who was well known in this belt at
that time. One-day Variyar was returning home late after work. He found two
beautiful ladies crossing him in the night. He could identify that they were
not normal ladies, but were divine beings. He gave them a seat beneath the
nearby Marutha tree and left the place assuring that he will get a temple for
the two beings.
The two
were Mahishasura Mardini and her friend Yakshi. He consulted Edathara Potti and
with the help of Venadu king, the temple was erected. The main deity was
Mahishasura Mardini and the Yakshi was offered a place in the north-east part
of the temple, within the naalambalam. The place where Variyar initially made
the two to wait is a four pillar mandapam. Twice in a year – during
Tirukarthika and during the annual 10-day festival, the Yakshi gets offerings.
On
Tirukarthika, Devi is escorted from this mandapam into the temple with an
elaborate ritual. This is done by a young girl, less than 12 years old, from
the ambalavaasi family who must fast and observe Vratham for 48 days. It is
believed that the Devi comes with the girl from the mandapam to the temple.
Tulabaram, Nava kalasa puja, and Devi avahana puja (tantric puja) are done in
this mandapam. Hence the sanctity of the temple is equally distributed to both
the places, the main Srikoil and this Marudha mandapam. This is a very rare
phenomenon found in this temple, that we rarely see anywhere else.
