Mullakkal Rajeshwari Temple

Mullakkal Chirappu Festival is the most prominent festival celebrated in the temple to mark the devotion to the presiding deity- Maa Durga. Held in the Vrishchikam month (mid November) of the Malayalam calendar, the festival is celebrated for 41 days, the last two days being the most important ones. The shrine and the entire area is lit up with lights and adorned with bunting and picture posters. Besides the cultural events, musical celebrations and festive vigour, around 3000 devotees sit down to a feast every day for all the 41 days. Several elephants are positioned at the spot to hold numerous processions in the city during the day and the all-around atmosphere reverberates with gaiety, opulence and festive fervour.

Navratri is another important event at Mullakkal temple. Celebrated in the month of November, the nine-day affair ends with grand beanfeast of Vijaydashmi and Mahanavmi. Elephants decorated gaudily are taken around the city with a big procession and hullabaloo to mark the eventful occasion. Several baby girls are given new clothes and are worshipped as a form of purity and divine Kumaris.

Several myths and stories are attached to this temple which is believed to be at least 500 years old. As per the most prominent story, the presiding idol of ‘Mullakkal Devi’ was brought here by a group of some exiled soldiers from Thekkumkur. Originally the idol was placed in the jasmine garden and later King Devanarayana built a shrine around it.

Another story suggests that during the conquest of Tipu Sultan, a group of Brahmins got the statue of Mata Annapurneshwari from the Malabar area and placed it amidst the pool of jasmines. They later built a temple for the idol. Till 1961, the idol that adorned the shrine was of Mata Annapurneshwari; however, a mentally unstable devotee once embraced the statue so hard that it had to be redone. Therefore, in 1962, a brand new idol of Mata Rajeshwari was placed in the sanctum and has been there ever since.

The best time to visit this place is between September and December as it is the festive season in the temple. Navratri is celebrated in September, Thaipooyakavadi in November and Mullakkal Chirappu in December respectively. The temple is adorned with lights and diyas and the festivities at this time of the year, are in full bloom.

1. The temple follows a proper dress code. Men are supposed to remove their shirts and vest before the temple. Women are supposed to dress in traditional clothes- sarees or north Indian suits.

The temple is situated in the heart of the city on Mullakkal road and can be reached in auto- rickshaws or private cabs. Alternatively, you can travel in one of the state-run buses.