Sree Mangottukavu Bhagavathy Temple, Athipotta Alathur

http://www.mangottukavu.in

Mangottukavu Bhagavathy Temple is situated at Athipotta, which is 24 km from Palakkad via Alathur. The Goddess Bhagavathy,presiding deity is worshipped in her most fierce form. She is also considered as the younger sister of Parakkattu Bhagwathi who has a temple in Kavasseri near by.The temple is built in Kerala style of architecture. There is a separate shrine for Lord Ganesha inside the temple and there is a temple for Mookan Chathan, a spirit on the Northern Side, outside the Temple compound.  The temple has a Kalyana Mandapam (Marriage Hall).

Mangottukavu Temple

History:

Mangottu Bhagawathi is supposed to have come to this place to fulfill the desire of a weaver. This weaver,Kuttan, was a great devotee of the Goddess. He and his people wove clothes and sold them in places where festivals were held. It is said that at one place, he was so mesmerized by the appearance of the Devi in the festival procession there, that he pleaded  her to come along with him. At that time, there was a whirl wind which removed the clothes of the idol of the Goddess which was being taken out in procession. Kuttan immediately threw the cloth that he had brought to sell on to 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 had 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.

Festivals:

In the month of Medam (April–May) a festival is conducted here lasting 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 during the month of Meenam (March–April). Every year the annual festival (Vela) is conducted on the second Sunday after Vishu (in April), the starting of the Malayalam new year. The Mangottu Kavu vela is preceded by a host of festivities starting exactly a week before the actual festival. On the first Sunday after vishu the Kodiyettam (Flag hoisting) ceremony is performed. On Monday there is a kari-kali dance festival, wherein members of the Mannadiar and Nair community visit all the Hindu homes in the locality and dance and sing the deities devotional songs. On Tuesday chamanz-kali follows.

Mookkan chathan visiting homes during vela

Here too members of the Mannadiar and Nair community sing devotional songs visiting each Hindu home in the locality. Wednesday there is Kumati festival. There are other cultural events like chakiyaar kutt, pavva kutt and so on during this festival period. A host of devotees arrive for the main vela festival. This is a very important temple and various types of worship are offered here. 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. 

The temple now has a website (http://www.mangottukavu.in) where it offers online puja booking for its devotees spread across the world. Website also has a wealth of information about the temple.