Chitra Pournami 2024: This Ancient Temple In Kerala Opens For Devotees Only Once In A Year
The annual Chitra Pournami festival at the ancient Mangaladevi temple in Kerala's Idukki District on Tuesday.?Thousands from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu thronged the Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple to offer?prayers,?on the only day of the year?when it is?open for devotees.
Where is Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple
Located?at a distance of?15 km from Thekkady inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the ancient temple is on the border of Idukki district in Kerala and Theni district in Tamil Nadu.
The Chitra Pournami festival?is jointly?organised?by Kerala and Tamil Nadu and has prayers in both Malayalam and Tamil languages.?
The temple is situated at an altitude of about 1,337?meter?above sea level and is only approachable by jeeps from Kumily.
It is famous for its Pandyan architecture and the boundary walls and the steps leading to the temple are made up of huge stones.
Legend of Kannagi
The presiding deity of the temple is Mangaladevi also known as Kannagi, from the Tamil epic Cilappatikaram.
According to Kannagi, the devoted wife of Kovalan took revenge against killing her innocent husband by accusing him as a thief. It is said that she stormed into the king¡¯s court and cut off one of her breasts,?before burning down the whole of Madurai city. Kannagi later reached the Suruli hills from where she went to heaven in Pushpaka Vimana along with Kovalan.
History of Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple
The temple was built by Cheran Chenguttuvan, the king of ancient Tamilakam, around 2000 years back at Vannathiparai and named?it?'Kannagi Kottam' or Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple.?
Apart from Mangala?Devi?there are also idols of Karuppuswamy, Lord Shiva?and?Ganapathy in the temple.
It was originally a part of Tamil Nadu's Theni district but later became a part of Kerala's Idukki district, which is still disputed.
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