Manapullikavu

Manapullikavu is in the Palakkad district in the Kerala State of India. The village is most famous for the temple Manappullikavu Vela.Sree Manappully Bhagavathy Temple is situated very near to the Palghat Town. It is on the Palghat–Chittur road and hardly 200 meters away from the NH-47. Earlier the temple was under the private ownership of ‘Kenath Family’. Now the temple is under Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Board (HR&CE). Kariyannur Manakkal Bavathrathan Namboothiripad of Pattambi is the Thanthri (Head Priest) of the temple now.Sri Manappully Bhagavathy Temple has a very ancient history. It is believed that the temple originally belonged to Sri Mattappilly Bhadrakali Mana, a famous Kerala Brahmin family of Kerala. Numerous Bhrahmin families living on the banks of Holi River Sokanasini (Bharathapuzha) used to perform ‘Yagas’ on the river bed. Thus the area came to be known as ‘Yaga-kara’ which later came to be known as ‘Yakkara’. The eastern part of Yakkara where the temple is located, is called East Yakkara and the other side as ‘West Yakkara’. It is believed that the ‘Moolasthanam’ of Bhagavathy was at West Yakkara and it was subsequently shifted to the present Sanctum Santorum of the East Yakkara temple. (It is believed that a saintly Brahmin of Yagakkara conducted his prayers in his kitchen which is also called as ‘madappalli’. It is considered that in the course of time and usage, the area came to be known as "Manappulli").Sree Manappulli Bhagavathi is Bhadrakaali and was born out of the sacred "Jada" of Lord Shiva during Dakshayaga. She is black in colour, with four hands, each one having Soolam, Kapalam, Gadkam and Khedam. She is with three eyes, two ‘Dhamshtram’, with ‘Pattudayada’ and valuable ornaments. The Prathishta is in ‘Shanta Bhava’. During ‘Chandattam’ ceremony She turns to ‘Rudra Bhava’ and becomes ‘Shanta Swaroopini ‘after accepting the ‘Kadummadura Payasa Nivedyam’. She is believed to satisfy the desires, hopes and aspirations of her true devotees and also protect them from all evils.