Sri Bhagavathi Amman Temple – Mandaikadu

Presiding deity:      Bhagavathi Amman
Reputation:      A Sabarimala of Women
Speciality:      Tall ant-hill
Holy tree:      Neem tree
Worshipping:      Firing crackers
Offering:      Puttamudhu pudding
Place:      Mandaikadu
Scriptural name:      Mandhaikadu
District:      Kanyakumari

 

Prayer:
Those aspiring for marriage alliance to be concluded and children visit the temple for fulfillment of their expectations. Those suffering from severe headache and effects evil impacts and the handicapped pray to Bhagavathi Amman for reliefs.
Prayer commitments:
Devotees offer silk cloths and Mangalsutra to the goddess. The handicapped offer limbs made of silver for cures. people also offer cradles in the temple for getting children. Crackers are fired to relief from the impact of evil looks and effects. Some use to have the food placed on the floor and eat it. This is known as Mansoru Eating.
Speciality:
The temple is built after the Kerala tradition in a very simple style. The roof of the temple has orange colour tiles, an anthill touching the roof. At the upper end is the face of Goddess Bhagavathi. People cook a pudding here with rice flour, sugar, jaggery called Mandaiappam and offer it to the Goddess for relief from headache and none is disappointed, it is widely said.

Reputation:
Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Amman Temple is known as a Sabarimala for Women. The 15 feet tall anthill is the Bhagavathi amman. Women visit the temple with the Irumudi (a bundle containing puja items for the Goddess) as men go to Sabarimala. Here is the Srichakra at the ground of the anthill. The temple was demolished and reconstructed for more than three times. Puja is performed only in the morning in the temple.
General information:
Mandaikadu is 75 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram and 95 from Tirunelveli. There is facility in the temple for staying. Charge Rs. 25 and Rs. 50. Lodges are available in Nagercoil also, charges ranging from Rs. 150 to Rs. 400. Bus facilities are available to Nagercoil from almost all parts of Tamilnadu. Devotes can reach Mandaikadu by road. Nearest railway stations are Iranial and Nagercoil. Narest airports are Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai.
Festivals:
10 day Masi festival (March-April) draws a huge crowd numbering 10 lakh. On Poornima day too. The crowd would be huge during the Tuesdays and Fridays of the Tamil month.
History:
His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya was performing Srichakra Puja with his Kerala disciples here. One day the Chakra did not turn back after the puja was over as usual. The Acharya stayed here itself and attained Samadhi. It is on this spot where the Srichakra existed, the anthill began to grow. Children playing this side and hitting the anthill were injured. Marthanda Varma, the king of Kerala came to know of these developments and built a temple and performed pujas regularly. Gradually, the temple assumed significance among the devotees. Today is a famous temple blessing the devotees.