Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple

Introduction to Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple

The Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple is located in Kollemcode village, Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu. It is near the Kerala border. Lush green paddy fields and coconut trees can be seen around the temple.

Legend of the Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple

According to legend, this region was once called Kalinga Rajapuram. People affected by the Kalinga war took refuge there, and the king who ruled the area allowed them to continue living there. Hence, this place became known as Kalinga Rajapuram. These refugees worshiped Kali as their main deity.

Later, heavy floods wiped out the entire colony, and the place was utterly devastated, vanishing under the soil. However, Kalinga Rajapuram did not wholly disappear, and one place in Kollemcode is still known as Kalinga Rajapuram. Also, Kali's idol was dug up from the soil and is worshipped as Kollemcode Sree Bhadrakali Devi.

The Architecture of the Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple

The Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple has a traditional Kerala style of architecture. It sprawls over a large space, and there are many trees around the temple premises. It was believed to have been built in 625 AD. The Devaswom completed renovations in the temple in 2014.

Though Shree Bhadrakali Devi appeared here as a dual form of Shakti - Bhadra and Kali - devotees worship and receive blessings from the unified form of Mother Durga. The deities are semi-circular Mudis (artificial statues of deities) decorated with snake-hood structures carved from the wood of jackfruit trees.

The Moola Kshetram "Shree Vattavila Bhadrakali Mudippura" is in the same Kollemcode province. It is believed to have the deity's Omnipresence, and priests conduct daily Poojas here. There is another Mudippura in the Venkanji province, where festivals are celebrated.

Festivals in the Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple

Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple celebrates Pongala, Navratri, and Aayilyam (September-October) grandly.

Thookkam is another famous festival celebrated in Venkaji Mudippura, where the deities are preserved. It is an offering believed to be favored by the deity, so it is popular among devotees. Couples offer Thookkam (an offering by the devotees to Sree Bhadrakali) for their one-year-old children. They offer Thookkam to Sree Bhadrakali for children born without any significant health issues by her grace.

The main aspect of the 14-day Thookkam festival is hoisting the temple flag, which thousands of devotees witness. The Sree Bhadrakali Devaswom Temple celebrates the Thookkam festival on the Bharani Nakshatra in Meenam month (March-April) of every year. Kaliyoottu is another festival organized every twelve years.