BHAGAWATHI OF GHENGANNUR

ANTIQUITY

Associated with Uma and Maheswar's sports and Sage, Agasthya's tapas, this kshetra occupies a place in several legends, and hence many versions are available with variations, though aiming at the glorification of the presiding deities through episodes of unearthly splendour and glamour. The wedding of Parvathi and Parameswar is the Principal cause of Agasthya's advent to Sonadri, an integral part of Sahyadri range of mountains. 

Lord Parameswar felt elated at the sight of the entire Devaganas - Mukkoti devatas at Kailas on his wedding day, but found to his dismay the earth was tilting towards the North due to the presence such huge congregation at one time. And sure the south would be lifted aloft resulting in a great catastrophe soon. To avoid that disaster, he solicited the celebrated sage Agasthya to go to South and stay there for maintaining the equilibrium of the raising earth. Finding Agasthya's discontent at missing the auspicious celestial wedding, he promised to meet him with his consort in his hermitage itself after the marriage, besides bestowing the gift of divine sight to see everything from his own seat itself.

Satisfied at this unexpected fortune, Agasthya moved anon to the South, humbling the Vindhyas on his way and settled down at Sonadri being the ideal, sequestered spot for meditation and ascetic life.  And this Sonadri, if translated into Malayalam becomes Chenkunni and if 'Ur' is added to indicate town, it turns out Chenkunnur - its corrupt form being Chengannur perched in records and popular in common parlance.

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