Madayi Kavu

Madayikkavu
Tiruvarkkadu Bhagavathy Temple
Tiruvarkkadu Bhagavathy Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Kannur
Deity	Bhadrakali
Governing body	Malabar Devaswom Board [1]
Location
Location	Pazhayangadi, Kannur
State	Kerala
Interactive map of Madayikkavu
Coordinates	12°2′4.99″N75°15′41.14″E / 12.0347194°N 75.2614278°E / 12.0347194; 75.2614278
Architecture
Type	Kerala architecture
Creator	Parashurama, Chirakkal Kingdom
Temple	4 sanctums

The Arayal Thara in front of Tiruvarkad Bhagavathy Temple (Madayi Kavu). Arayal in Malayalam is synonymous to Bodhi Tree or Pippallam

Thiruvarkadu Bhagavathi Temple (a.k.a. Madayi Kavu) is a famous temple dedicated to Bhadrakali in Kerala. The deity is the Fierce form of Bhadrakali. The Bhagavathy is addressed by tantrics in the vicinity as Tiruvarkkad Achchi due to this. The temple administration is Malabar Devaswom Board. The temple is a revered shrine of Chirakkal Royal Family and a shrine of Chirakkal devaswom before. The temple is situated in Madayi, Pazhayangadi, hence prominently known as Madayi Kavu.

Dress code

• Men: Traditional Mundu allowed

Lungi, shirt and Banian not allowed inside sanctum sanctorum

• Women: Salwar Kameez, saree, Set Mundu, skirts and blouse allowed. Jeans is not allowed inside the temple

Etymology

The temple is addressed as Thiruvarkkadu Bhagavathy, Thiruvar-in proto-Tamil-Manipravalam is used to address Shiva of the shrine, i.e. The most respectable one. The temple architecture of some shrines in the region shows how the Goddess is perceived in the region. The temples such as Annapoorneshwari temple and Madayikkavu has strong Brahminic influence. The Brahmin women in ancient time, were not allowed to show their faces in the sit-out, they were mostly inside their home and was addressed as Andarjanam by Kerala Brahmins. The Goddess is considered as Brahmin Mother and hence do not face the temple entrance gate, her sanctum is inside the shrine; the sanctum that one can see while entering from the front entrance is of Shiva (also due to the tantric temple architecture Rurujith Vidhanam) and in Annapoorneshwari Temple it is Krishna's shrine in the front entrance. So the temple is known by the name of Shiva rather than the Goddess. Tiruvarkaadu means The forest of the Lord. ^[2]

Legend

There are different folklore about the origin of the temple. One of the legend says, The Bhagavathy, Madayikkavilamma was residing in the Rajarajeshwara Temple. But, as she was non-vegetarian she could not exist in the Shiva temple. She ordered the then King of that region to construct a separate shrine for her.

Saraswathi Mandapam

In another legend, long ago Madayi was troubled by a demon Darika and Madayikavilamma killed him and requested Shiva to enshrine in a temple near him. Lord Shiva ordered his disciple Parashuram to consecrate a shrine for the Shakti. Parashurama created the Madayippara and the Holy shrine on it. ^[3] The shrine is considered the last resort for the removal of Occult Sorcery (Black Magic and Witchcraft).

There used to be a "strothasamuchayam" known as "panchasthavi" in Kashmir province. There were Laghustuthi, ghatasthi, charchasthuthi, Ambasthuthi, sakalajananeestuthi. These five came under "sreevidyasambrathaaya" which stipulates like Aanavopayam, Saakthopayam, saambhavopayam, anupoyam etc. These were practiced by the Bhattakaaras of kashmir. One of the Bhattakarar travelled from kashmir towards south and he has built 13 temples of saakthyaaradhana. they are from north starting from mannampurath kavu of Neeleswaram, Thiruvarkkattu kavu or Madaayi kavum, Kalarivathulkkavu of Valapattanam, Mamanikkunnu kavu near Mattannur, Thiruvancheri kkavu near Koothuparambu, Kaliyam kavu near edacheri of Vadakara, Koyilandi kollam pisharikkavu, thiruvalayanaadu kavu of Kozhikode, Modikkunnathu kavu near Pattambi, Thirumandamkunnu kavu of Angadipurath, Kodungallurkkavu, Muthoot kavu of Thiruvalla, Panayannar kavu of Mannar near thiruvalla.

The Pradanmar or the Brahmins performed the poojas came from Kashmir and they practiced Saaktheya pujas, which is practiced here at Madaayikkavu/

History

During the incursion of Hyder Ali into Malabar, Circa 1780, Madayi Kavu was desecrated with the entrails of slaughtered cattle, following which a local Nair warrior named Vengayil Chathukutty beheaded the miscreant responsible for the act, delivering the severed head to temple authorities. Thereby the Nair family of Vengayil received the title of Nayanar. ^[4]

Worship

Kattumadom Esanan Namboothirippad is the Tantri (Head Priest) of the shrine. Kattumadom is one of the four major Mantravada clan of Brahmin families in Kerala. ^[5]

The temple rites are performed by Pidarar Brahmins who follow Koula sampradaya. The ability to control Ashtapaashas (eight chains) – ghrina (hatred), lajjaa (shame), bhaya (fear), shanka (doubt), jugupsa (reproach), kula (caste), jaati (creed) and sheela (modesty) – is key for meditation especially in Koula Sampradaya. If a devotee is able to control these, the Bhagavathy raises our^{[ who? ]} consciousness to Shivam. ^[6] The major festival of the temple is Pooram in March. There are also festivals in the Malayalam months of Thulam, Vrishchikam and Makaram in addition to the Pooram in Meenam. The Perumkaliyattam is in the Malayalam month of Idavam. ^[7] The temple is also associated with the Bhadrakali temple of Mannanpurathu Kavu (Nileshwaram) and Vadukunnu Shiva Temple.

The Shiva shrine faces east, while the Bhadrakali shrine faces towards the west. A particular aspect of the temple is Kozhi Kalasham, which is the sacrifice of poultry for the goddess which is held in high regard. ^{[8] [9]}

Access

Madayi Kavu is located on the Pappinisseri—Pilathara KSTP road, 1.3 km (0.81 mi) to north of Pazhayangadi town towards Pilathara where NH 66 is accessible. Major towns such as Kannur, Payyanur and Taliparamba are accessible towards south, north and east respectively from the nearby Eripuram junction. The road to the east connects to Taliparamba and Iritty, and further to cities in Karnataka such as Mysuru and Bengaluru.

The nearest railway station is Pazhayangadi on Shoranur-Mangalore Section, 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to the south. The major railway station Kannur is 24.5 km (15.2 mi) away. The nearest airport is Kannur, about 48.5 km (30.1 mi) away. Other nearby airports are Mangalore and Calicut. ^[10]

Notable visitors

• B. S. Yediyurappa, former chief minister of Karnataka ^[11]
• Darshan Thoogudeepa, film actor ^[12]

See also

• Madayipara
• Rajarajeshwara Temple
• Annapurneshwari Temple, Cherukunnu
• Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy Temple

References

1. "Temples under Malabar Devaswam Board, Division : Thalassery" (PDF). Malabar Devaswam Board. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
2. "Thayi paradevata". Shakteyam.blogspot.in. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
3. "Legend". Madayikavu.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
4. "MadayiKavu". Madayikavu.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
5. ""Manthravaadam" (Conjuration / Sorcery)". Namboothiri.com. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
6. "The Ashta Paasha (8 chains)". Indiadivine.org. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
7. "Madayi Kavu". Sivakami.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
8. "Madayi Kavu Bhagwathi temple - Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia". Hindupedia.com. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
9. "Comment jar: കമന്റു ഭരണി: മാടായി കാവ് Madayi Kavu". Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
10. "Madayikavu - How to reach". madayikavutemple.org.
11. "Yeddyurappa offers pooja at temples in Kannur". The Hindu. 26 December 2009.
12. TV9 Kannada (23 March 2025). Actor Darshan visits Madayi temple in Kannur – via YouTube.