Mangalam Ayyappankavu temple is located at Mangalam village near Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district, Kerala. The annual festival in Mangalam Ayyappankavu temple is observed on Uthram nakshatra in Makaram month.
This temple is one among the 108 Ayyappan Kavu temples in Kerala. It is believed that this is the Thalappullikavu mentioned in Thottam Pattu.
Although the temple is famous as Ayyappa temple, it is believed that the Vishnu temple in the complex was first built. The Vishnu worshipped in the temple is with four hands – chathur bahu.
The Ayyappa vigraham worshipped in the temple unique and one of its kind. Ayyappa is here seen sitting with his hands backwards (Purakileeku Kaikuthiyirikkuka).
Ayyappa here is in the form of Brahmachari. The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Ganapathy and Rakshas.
It is believed that this Ayyappa murti was the guardian deity of Kakkad Vattakottai. When Vattakottai (fort) got destroyed, Ayyappa was installed in the current place.