Muppandhal Avvaiyar Amman (Esakkiamman) Temple- Kanyakumari

Address

Muppandhal Avvaiyar Amman (Esakkiamman) Temple- Kanyakumari

Muppandhal, Aralvaimozhi,

Kanyakumari -627105

Phone: +91 4652- 262 533

Amman

Esakkiamman (Avvaiyar Amman)

Introduction

• Located at Muppandhal Village near Aralvazhmozhi, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.
• Also called Muppandhal Devi Temple, associated with the Sangam Tamil poetess Avvaiyar.
• Tradition holds that this is the spot where Avvaiyar passed away.

Puranic Significance:

• Muppandhal: Place named after the marriage arrangement by Avvaiyar for the daughters of King Pari, where three kings erected pandals.
• Mother Esakki’s Dream: A devotee in Panagudi was cured of a stomach ailment after Esakki Amman appeared in her dream and instructed her to build a temple under a cactus plant.
• Revenge Story: A prostitute’s reincarnation as a Yaksha (Neeli) took revenge on the priest who killed her, leading to the establishment of the Adhi Moola Sthanam (Ancient Sanctum).

Beliefs:

• Sacred Thread: Tied to protect devotees from evil spirits and black magic.
• Prasadam: White Pongal and Payasam are offered to the Goddess.
• On full moon days, unmarried girls worship for marriage and are tied a yellow thread by priests.
• Farmers offer part of their harvest to the temple, and vehicles stop to pray for safety.

Special Features:

• Believed to be over 1300 years old.
• Three Mandapams and a shrine for Avvaiyar inside the temple complex.
• Esakki Amman statue erected in 2007.
• Goddess Esakki is believed to be under a cactus plant, with Kalyani Amman beside her.
• Statues of Durga, Vaishnavi, and Avvaiyar in the temple’s outer corridor.
• A 33-feet tall statue of Esakki Amman stands outside the temple.

Festivals:

• Celebrated with grandeur on the last Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi.
• Rituals include turmeric water anointment and fire-walking by devotees.
• Scented flowers and rituals for Esakki Amman begin at the Adhi Moola Sthanam.

Century/Period

1000 Years old

Nearest Bus Station

Muppandhal

Nearest Railway Station

Kanyakumari Junction

Nearest Airport

Trivandrum

Location on Map

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