KUMARANALLUR - MURUGAN AMBALAM

Attributing this to Devi's act, the King consecreled her image in the temple, appointing 1000 persons, besides 28 Nambudri Illoms to conduct prayer services under the guidance of the runaway priest. He remodeled certain parts making the shrine resemble Madurai Meenakshi temple. The image of Mother was made of Anjalakal - antimony sulphate instead of stone as found in all temples.

The temple celebrated TriKarthika festival in the month of Vrischikam falling in Nov-Dec on an unprecedented scale. It was on this holy day, the Devi took her Karthika bath and performed several rituals on the bank in the pond with great ardour. The principal deities of Vadakkunathan and Udayanapuram temples standing on the compound wall watched the myriad splendours of the Devi engaged in worshipping and returning with her retinue to the temple. Her austerity pleased them most and hence their observation with unbounded zeal. So the priests then placed the Naivedyam on the walls of the respective temples. And since then this practice is continued. Has strangeness any limit? Are gods exonerated from its grip?

This famous shrine dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya and Devi Parvati is about 3 km off Kottayam in Kerala.

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