Muppandhal Avvaiyar Amman Temple, Aralvaimozhi, Kanyakumari
Avvaiyar Amman Temple is a Hindu Temple located at Muppandhal Village near Aralvazhmozhi in Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu. The Temple is also called as Muppandhal Devi Temple. The Temple is associated with Sangam Tamil Poetess Avvaiyar. According to tradition, this is the spot where she died.
Legends
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The Temple
The Temple is also called as Muppandhal Devi Temple. There are remnants of three separate mandapams and a shrine of Avvaiyar in their midst. One can see two images of Avvaiyar in sitting posture with a stick inside the temples of Esakkiamman nearby. A new statue of Esakkiamman erected in 2007. People believe that the Goddess was originally called “Iyakki” meaning she makes things work and this over time became Esakki. The temple has a statue of the great ancient poetess of Tamilnadu and hence it is called also as Avvaiyar Amman temple.
Another interesting fact about the temple is that the Goddess remains under a cactus plant here. Goddess Esakki has a very peaceful look. On her right-side there is the Goddess Kalyani called Piranathi Amman. The temple is guarded near the gate by the two brothers of Esakki Amman called Sudalai Madan and Pattavarayan. There are separate statues of Durga, Vaishnavi and Avvaiyar in the outside corridor of the temple. Outside the temple there is a 33 feet tall Statue of Esakki Amman in the open ground.
Temple Opening Time
The temple is open daily from 6.30 Am till 8 PM. Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays are considered as special days to worship the Goddess.
Worship Practices & Prayers
In the temple, a protective sacred thread is tied so that evil spirits and black magic does not give any trouble to the devotees of the temple. They offer White Pongal and Payasam to the Goddess and distribute it to people as Prasadam. There is a huge crowd of devotees at the temple on full moon days. People believe that if they worship on that day, the unmarried girls would get married soon. After the worship on those days, the priests tie a yellow thread on the hands of the girls. It is also a practice of the farmers to offer a part of their harvest to the temple. The Goddess is also offered with a sweet made of jiggery and Gingelly. All the vehicles passing in front of the temple stop there for a minute and drivers pray for their safety.
Festivals
The last Tuesday of the Adi month is celebrated in a grand way in the temple. On the second Tuesday, the Amman is anointed with turmeric water. There is also a ritual of walking on fire by the males who do penance for 41 days at the temple on that day. There is another prayer when the devotees offer scented flowers and cover up the Amman statue. But all festivals and worship start only at the Adhi Moola Sthanam.
Connectivity
Muppandhal Devi Temple is located at about 3 Kms from Aralvaimozhi, 20 Kms from Nagercoil, 20 Kms from Suchindrum, 13 Kms from Boothapandi, 30 Kms from Kanyakumari and 96 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is Aralvaimozhi Railway Station (3 Kms). Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram.