Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple- Kerala

Address

Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple- Paramekkavu Devaswom Building, Round East, Thrissur, Kerala 680001 Phone: 0487 233 1273

Deity

Bhagavathy

Introduction

• One of the largest Bhagavathy temples in Kerala.
• Located on the outskirts of the Vadakumnathan temple ground, Paramekkavu, in Thrissur District.
• The main deity is Devi Vaishnavy, an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
• The temple is linked to the Thrissur Pooram festival.
• The murti (idol) depicts the Goddess in the form before killing the demon Darika.
• The idol is carved out of wood, with a unique posture where the right leg is in padmasana and the left leg hangs down.

Puranic Significance

• The temple’s deity is believed to have been brought by a devotee named Appattukuruppal from Angadipuram Thirumandhamkunnu.
• Goddess Devi came with the devotee in his umbrella (ola kuda) when he could no longer visit the original temple due to old age.
• The umbrella was placed at Ilanji thara in Vadakkumnathan temple.
• The prathishta (consecration) is believed to be similar to that of Thirumandhamkunnu temple.
• The murti was originally placed at Ilanjithara in Vadakkumnathan temple.
• The lamp (vilakku) in Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple is still directed towards Ilanji thara in Vadakkumnathan temple.
• The famous Ilanjithara melam during Thrissur Pooram is a commemoration of this event.
• There is also a belief that the original deity was consecrated at Kodungallur.
• The old deity was replaced with a new wooden idol on June 15, 1997.
• The renovation included replacing the old sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) with granite and installing a new daru bimbam (wooden idol).

Special Features

• Estimated to be over 1000 years old, making it one of Kerala’s oldest temples.
• One of the largest Bhagavathy temples in Kerala.
• A key participant in the famous Thrissur Pooram festival.
• The original deity was damaged and replaced with a wooden deity with 8 arms.
• A vibrant, colorful procession of people and animals from 15 temples takes place during the festival.
• The temple competes with Thiruvambady temple during the Thrissur Pooram.
• The temple trust operates a KG school named Paramekkavu Vidya Mandir.
• The Ezhilam Pala tree in the temple is significant for decision-making and scholarly debates.

Festivals

• The temple is a key participant in the annual Thrissur Pooram festival held at Vadakkunnathan temple.
• A prominent attraction of the festival is the procession of 15 caparisoned elephants from Paramekkavu to Vadakkunnathan temple.

Century/Period/Age

1000 to 2000 years old

Nearest Bus Station

Thrissur

Nearest Railway Station

Thrissur

Nearest Airport

Kochi

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