The diety: Hemambika bagawathy. Thrikala Puja.Also its believed the deity takes three forms in a day: Saraswathi in the morning, Laxmi in the noon, and as Durga in the evening.
The chief deity here is Goddess Hemambika, but the idol worshipped here is an "upraised hand," behind which there is a legendary tale.
There are several legends about the origin of this temple.“On their regular trek through the dense Vadamala forest to worship at the valley shrine of Durga, one day Kurur and Kaimukku Nambudiris were granted a vision. The golden Goddess stood beside an elephant under a tree. When the aged Kurur was disheartened by his inability to undertake hazardous pilgrimages, the Goddess assured him in a dream that he would find her in the neighborhood. The next day witnessed the emergence of her hands in the middle of a lake close by. When Kurur swami through to clasp them, the divine hands turned into stone.
The Goddess once agreed to appear before a devotee on the condition he will not disclose it to anyone. But the excited devotee, unable to hold it within himself, told everyone, and when the goddess appeared before him, seeing the small crowd that had gathered there, she vanished immediately, and all that the devotees could see were her upraised hand!
Putting Neivilakku is very effective!
- specialty of the temple is in its unique idol and also the fact that it is surrounded by water on three sides. The Sanctum Sanctorum (or the Garba Griha) is at the same level as the water in the pond that surrounds the temple, signifying that the deity emerged from there.
- Emur Bhagavathy (Hemambika), the bestower of prosperity, boons and auspiciousness raised her divine hands in the middle of the blessed pond Kallekulam. In a paroxysm of devotion, her impatient priest jumped in to the pond and caught hold of those hands before she fully manifested. The Devi stopped appearing. The priest got only the Devi’s emerging hands. This is the great legend of the famous Hemambika Temple where the Devi’s hands are enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum.
- When i was in 5th or 6th standard, mmmmmmm year seems 1982-83, or 83-84, the former Prime Minister of India, Indra Gandhi visited this temple. As my school was Hemambika Sanskrit high school we are all were doing "Thalapoli"! I still remember she patted on my cheeks smiling and saying so cute! (I was fat baby with chubby cheeks!) It was after the Congress split along with Sri Karunakaran. She was impressed by the goddess and made the palm of the goddess as her election symbol.
- The temple with unique idol of only " two hands ". It is widely believed that the "DEVI" the goddess emerged from the midst of pond to bless an ailing devotee, who out of excitement caught hold of two hands before it could come out. Then a temple was consecrated with those two hands as goddess.
- This beautiful temple surrounded by 5 ponds kallekulamam, Ambalakulam(amidst mantoppu inside temple), Therukulam, anakulama and parakulam!
- The Navarathri festival also is celebrated in this temple. A kalam ezhuthu pattau mahothsavam is celebrated every year in the months of Vrichigam-Dhanu .
- Location: In a small village (read – that was once upon a time a village) in Palakkad district called Akathethara, Kallekulangara, (approx 8 kms from Palakkad town) en route Malampuzha Dam
- This temple is the family deity of Palakkad kings. In fact the ariyittu Vazcha of the king (coronation) used to be conducted here.
- Way to shiva tample!
- Main attraction is the nine day festival of shivratri. (This year 2013, its tomorrow! I am writing this in nostalgic pain) Thousands of devotees attend the festival. Chakyarkoothu, Padakam, Thambaka,Kazhacha seeveli, kathakali, anayottam, the list continues.... The celebration ends at the Kalpathy River. Arathu ezhunallathu! The nine days from kodiyettam till shivarathri is really celebration for children! Eve of shivarathri in shiva temple, there used to be shayana pradakshinam and we used to lit the stone lamps there and do pradakshan with prayers! In the night of shivarathri we do jagaran! The childhood days.......miss it.............
- Amme Bagawathy devi saranam! Abhayam Tharanam Jagadambe!
