Mangombu Bhagawathy
Mangombu is a very prosperous island about 15 km away from Aleppy town. Most of people in this village cultivate high rise paddy. You can go to this island only by boat. Nowadays there is arrangement to carry the vehicles in floats. Dr.M.S. Swaminathan, the father of modern Indian Agriculture is from this place. There is a great Bhagawathy temple in Mongombu. There is a very interesting story about its origin. During the reign of king Veera Marthanda Verma of Travancore , it
seems one official called Pavvathil Kaimal. He requested the king to allot him some forest wood so that he can build his own house. The king asked Kaimal to cut trees from Mangombu hills near Palai. Kaimal cut the required logs and when he was trying to transport the logs by the river, three very pretty women approached Kaimal and requested for a lift. Kaimal told them , he would allow them to travel with him provided they became ugly. They then transformed themselves to ugly women and travelled along with the logs. When the boat reached the present location of Mangombu , it stopped there and refused to move.
Then the pretty women told Kaimal that they were goddesses and wanted temples to be built there. They then transformed themselves to idols. For the first Goddess a temple was built in Koyikkal , the second in a place called Vadaiattu. When they were thinking where to consecrate the third goddess, Goddess entered one of the people assembled there. That man threw a branch of a mango tree and requested them to build a temple where it falls. They did it as per the wish of the Goddess. Since it was the place where the branch of mango fell, it was called Mankombu , meaning “Branch of a mango tree”. Till this day the descendents of the man who threw the mango branch have a say in the affairs of the temple. The temple was consecrated in the month of Meenam (March april ) in the star of Bharani. The founders day is celebrated during this occasion. The goddess faces west. A big lamp is lit all the time without stop in front of the Goddess , as it is believed she likes light. Lighting lamps is one of the very important worship form in this temple. In the south eastern corner of the temple of the Goddess is the temple of Lord Shiva. So it is a practice in this temple to come round the sanctum sanctorum four times.
The idol of the Goddess is made of Jack wood and has a fierce form of Mahishasura Mardini. But a golden face and coat is given to the goddess so that she looks very peaceful. This idol has a crown with 15 serpents, has a symbol of elephant in the right ear and symbol of lion in the left ear. She also wears an Yerukku Malai. Raktha Pushpanjali for fulfilling all desires and Swayamvara Pushpanjali for early marriage are performed at this temple. Pregnant women observe 12 day Bhajanam in this temple for safe delivery. Several types of Payasams are also offered to the Goddess. The first eight days of Mredam (april-may) is celebrated as Mangombu Mala ketham (Moncombu mountain climbing) . Irumudi which is similar to the Sabarimala Irumudi is taken and people go round the temple with chanting of “saranam”., Then the night pooja is performed in the south east of the temple in a place called Malai Nadai Most of the important Hindu festivals Like Navarathri , Krishna Jayanthi , Deepavali etc are observed in this temple. In the Dhanu month (December-January a ten day Chirappu is also observed. During this festival the Goddess would be covered with sandal paste. In the month of Meenam , the foundation of the temple is celebrated. A kavadi pooja is performed during this occasion.
Mangombu is a very prosperous island about 15 km away from Aleppy town. Most of people in this village cultivate high rise paddy. You can go to this island only by boat. Nowadays there is arrangement to carry the vehicles in floats. Dr.M.S. Swaminathan, the father of modern Indian Agriculture is from this place. There is a great Bhagawathy temple in Mongombu. There is a very interesting story about its origin. During the reign of king Veera Marthanda Verma of Travancore , it
seems one official called Pavvathil Kaimal. He requested the king to allot him some forest wood so that he can build his own house. The king asked Kaimal to cut trees from Mangombu hills near Palai. Kaimal cut the required logs and when he was trying to transport the logs by the river, three very pretty women approached Kaimal and requested for a lift. Kaimal told them , he would allow them to travel with him provided they became ugly. They then transformed themselves to ugly women and travelled along with the logs. When the boat reached the present location of Mangombu , it stopped there and refused to move.
Then the pretty women told Kaimal that they were goddesses and wanted temples to be built there. They then transformed themselves to idols. For the first Goddess a temple was built in Koyikkal , the second in a place called Vadaiattu. When they were thinking where to consecrate the third goddess, Goddess entered one of the people assembled there. That man threw a branch of a mango tree and requested them to build a temple where it falls. They did it as per the wish of the Goddess. Since it was the place where the branch of mango fell, it was called Mankombu , meaning “Branch of a mango tree”. Till this day the descendents of the man who threw the mango branch have a say in the affairs of the temple. The temple was consecrated in the month of Meenam (March april ) in the star of Bharani. The founders day is celebrated during this occasion. The goddess faces west. A big lamp is lit all the time without stop in front of the Goddess , as it is believed she likes light. Lighting lamps is one of the very important worship form in this temple. In the south eastern corner of the temple of the Goddess is the temple of Lord Shiva. So it is a practice in this temple to come round the sanctum sanctorum four times.
The idol of the Goddess is made of Jack wood and has a fierce form of Mahishasura Mardini. But a golden face and coat is given to the goddess so that she looks very peaceful. This idol has a crown with 15 serpents, has a symbol of elephant in the right ear and symbol of lion in the left ear. She also wears an Yerukku Malai. Raktha Pushpanjali for fulfilling all desires and Swayamvara Pushpanjali for early marriage are performed at this temple. Pregnant women observe 12 day Bhajanam in this temple for safe delivery. Several types of Payasams are also offered to the Goddess. The first eight days of Mredam (april-may) is celebrated as Mangombu Mala ketham (Moncombu mountain climbing) . Irumudi which is similar to the Sabarimala Irumudi is taken and people go round the temple with chanting of “saranam”., Then the night pooja is performed in the south east of the temple in a place called Malai Nadai Most of the important Hindu festivals Like Navarathri , Krishna Jayanthi , Deepavali etc are observed in this temple. In the Dhanu month (December-January a ten day Chirappu is also observed. During this festival the Goddess would be covered with sandal paste. In the month of Meenam , the foundation of the temple is celebrated. A kavadi pooja is performed during this occasion.