Muthukulam Pandavarkavu Temple is located in Alappuzha
district and the shrine is around 10 km from Haripad town. The annual festival,
or utsavam, in Pandavarkavu temple is observed in such a manner that the pooram nakshatra falls on the fourth day of the festival in Kumbham month. The festival lasts for 10 days.
The shrine is dedicated to Devi or Goddess Bhagavathi. The main deity in the temple faces east.
The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Sastha, Ganapathy, Shiva, Nagam, Ghantakarna and Sree Bhootha Natha.
The shrine is
dedicated to Goddess Durga and the murti was installed by Kunti, mother of
Pandavas.
Various unique offerings are made at the shrine during the
period. The temple is traditionally decorated with plantain, coconut
leaves, flowers, leaves, traditional lamps and lights for the occasion. Traditional performing arts, music and dance are staged
during the period. Caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheevali are
part of the festival.
The festival ends with Arattu. The utsava murti of the
deity is taken out of the shrine for ritual bathing on the final day.
Caparisoned elephants and melam are part of the ritual.
Muthukulam Pandavarkavu Devi Temple Story
It is believed that the temple was established by Kunti, the
mother of Pandavas in Mahabharata. She consecrated the murti here when she was
on pilgrimage with her sons.
When the Pandavas and Kunti were traveling through the area,
Kunti asked Bhima to find a spot where she could perform her daily rituals to
Goddess Shakti. Bhima wandered in the area for long time but failed to find an
ideal spot.
Bhima then came across a potter and asked him if there is an
ideal spot nearby for worship. The potter told Bhima that he can take as much
place here that can fit a pot. Bhima then identified a spot in the land of the
potter.
Kunti took loose clay and crafted the figure of Goddess
Durga. She worshipped the murti every day by offering thechi flowers and red
banana.
The murti in clay was later wrapped in panchaloha to protect
it.
