Sri Bhagavathy Temple, Kanyakumari

Address

Sri Bhagavathy Temple, Temple Road, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629702

Diety

Shakti: Sarvani, Bhairava: Nimish, Body part or ornament: Back Part

Introduction

The Bhagavathy Temple is located in Cape Kanya Kumari in Tamil Nadu, at the southern tip of main land India, there by located on the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean. Kanyashram of Balaambika or Kanya ashram Kanyakumari is one of the Shakti peeth located in cape Kanya Kumari, Tamil Nadu. Goddess is popularly known with the name “Bhagavathy”. In other regions, the goddess is also called with the names Kanya Devi, Kanya Kumari, Badrakali. There is a different sort of bliss you feel when you visit Kanyakumari’s famous temples in South India. And out of the many temples that put forth a spiritually rejuvenating experience stands alone on the seas shore, the Arulmigu Bhagavathyamman Temple dedicated to Goddess Shree Bhagavathy who is worshipped as a virgin girl child here.

Puranic Significance

Worshipping Kanya Kumari dates from the vedic period. It has been mentioned in many Puranas including Ramayana and Mahabharatha. According to the mythology Daksha yagna and Sati self-immolation, it is the holy place where “Back part” fell down. Devotees believe goddess removes rigidity of mind and many devotees say that they feel tears from eyes after praying to the goddess. ANOTHER STORY OF SATI: In Hindu mythology, the son of Brahma, King Prajapati Daksha had a daughter named Sati. Princess Sati grew up adoring the legends and tales of Shiva, and when finally her age of getting married came, she knew it was only the ascetic Lord Shiva of Kailash where her heart and soul resided. Soon enough, Daksha’s daughter left her father’s luxuries and palace and began her meditation to win Shiva’s heart. She performed intense penance in dense forests and renounced food completely. When she finally pleased Shiva through her austerities, the lord of Kailash appeared in front of her and agreed to marry her. The legend goes that Sati and Shiva were happy in their marital bliss, but their marriage had not gone down too well with King Daksha, who considered ascetic Shiva nothing short of an uncouth lad who lives a hermit’s life not worthy of his daughter. So when Daksha organized a great yajna, he invited all the deities, gods and sages–but consciously excluded his son-in-law Shiva to insult him. Hurt by her father’s decision, Sati decided to visit her father and demand the reason for not inviting them. When she entered Daksha’s palace, she was bombarded with insults directed towards the Shiva. Haughty and proud King Prajapati Daksha called him all sorts of names right from a dishevelled god who hung out in graveyard to the supposed ‘lord of the beasts’. Unable to bear anything against her husband, a devastated Goddess Sati threw herself in the glowing scared fire of yajna. When Shiva’s attendants informed him about the demise of his wife, he grew enraged and created Veerbhadra from a lock of his hair. Veerbhadra created havoc in Daksha’s palace and killed him. Meanwhile, mourning his beloved soulmate’s death, Shiva tenderly held Sati’s body and started his dance of destruction (taandav). To save the universe and bring back Shiva’s sanity, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s lifeless body using Sudharshan Chakra into 51 pieces.

Festivals

Chaitra Purnima (full moon day usually occurs in the month of May), Navaratri, Vaisakha and Kalabham festivals are famous here. All the rites and rituals performed in Keralite way.