Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
| Date built: | – |
|---|---|
| Deity: | – |
| Architectural style: | – |
| Major festivals | – |
| Locale: | – |
| District:: | Kanyakumari |
| Address: | Vanniyoor Road, Thooppra moola, Near CSI Church, Kaliakkavilai, Tamil Nadu 629153 |
| Phone | 09443108700 |
Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple. Amman Bhagavathi is there. It is located near Colachel in the western coast of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. This is one among the most renowned and important Hindu temples in the district.
This temple is near the sea shore is a sought after pilgrim centre for both people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Kodai festival at Mondaicaudu is a major celebration in the region and this temple is called as women sabarimala. To accommodate the large populations special buses run between Nagercoil and nearby towns at the time, there are also chain services operated from Thiruvananthapuram. The idol here is unique and is earthy. The worship is also unique as it is not forbidden to cook and eat non-vegetarian foods, as in most other major Hindu temples, during the festival. One can see meat being cooked during the Ponkala days around the temple.
The goddess of this temple is also linked with Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy text of Ayyavazhi. Though Bhagavathi is mentioned in Akilam, its view of the goddess is different from that of the other Hindu views.
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Legend / Local stories
This temple on the sea shore is a sought after pilgrim centre for both people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Due tosome unknown reasons people from Kollam district in Kerala frequent this temple and according to some versionsthis is due to the links to erstwhile Venadu, an ancient kingdom whose capital was Kollam. Venadu traces the linksto imperial Cheras, from the three kingdoms of extreme south India Chera, Chola and Pandya. These are said tobe three brothers from ancient Porkai, near Thiruchendoor. Travancore kings were from the Chera lineage asbelieved. Many temples in the region are traced to Chera and Pandya lineages, the former more.
The Kodai festival at Mondaicaudu is a major celebration in the region and as in Sabarimala people flock here, especially women. To accommodate the large populations special buses run between Nagercoil and nearby townsat the time, there are also chain services operated from Thiruvananthapuram. The idol here is unique and isearthy. The worship is also unique as it is not forbidden to cook and eat non–vegetarian foods, as in most othermajor Hindu temples, during the festival. One can see meat being cooked during the Ponkala days around thetemple.
There is a folk history that Velu Thampi, a minister of Travancore, took over the temple from a local NayarTharavadu at Colachel, after a tussle, and the then Karanavar cursed him and killed himself, later Velu Thampihimself driven to the same fate after his fights with the British. The take over of Hindu temples by the state ensuedduring the British times in Travancore later.
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