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Machel Dakshina Mookambika Temple – Navratri Festival – History

Machel Dakshina Mookambika temple is located at Kulangarakkonam – Machel in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mookambika Devi. The Navratri, Prathishta Dinam and Vishu are important festivals in the temple.

This a rare temple in which the Sree Chakra is worshipped.

Goddess Mahamaya is worshipped in the shrine is three forms Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Maha Saraswathi.

The temple is open on Tuesday and Friday and on the first day of every Malayalam month.

  • Tuesday and Friday morning darshan timings are from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM
  • Tuesday and Friday evening darshan timings are from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
  • First day of Malayalam month timings are from 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

As per history, the shrine is nearly 800 years old and Melamon Madom has been worshipping the deities here in the thevarappura as their kudumba paradevatha (family goddess). It is said that Bhagavathi arrived here with a Brahmin youth when he went for his 41 days of Mookambika bhajanam.

Later the thevarappura was converted into a sreekovil and the deity Bhagavathi was placed in the Sreekovil and temple was open to public.

The annual navratri festival in the temple is famous for Maha Ganapathi homam, Chandika homam, Maha Thrimadhuram, Annadanam, Saraswati Seva, Alankara puja, neyy vilakku and Vidyarambham.

There is a night procession of Mookambika Devi to Saraswati Mandapam for seva during Navartri. After this Ashtavadhaana seva, the procession is initiated back and following kashayam and poomoodal, the doors of inner temples are closed.

The upa devatas worshipped in the temple are Unni Ganapathi and Veerabhadran. Muttarukkal, bhasma archana and bhasma abhishekam are offered to Veerabhadra. For Udayasthamana pooja, 18 poojas are held. The pujas are offered to Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, a ritual called kottapadi seva is conducted in keshadi padantham and padathi keshantham.