A Kerala temple where history and legend of a Goddess juggling stones in forest converge

Kerala By George Michael 08/06/2023 Read the article

Tucked away in the thick, verdant foliage stands the Kallil Bhagavathy Temple, hidden two kilometres away from Odakkali in the Ernakulam district.

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Dating back to the 3rd century BC, the temple has links to Jainism, one of the ancient three religious traditions that still exist in India.

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As you climb the 120 stone steps your attention is on is on the 75-foot-long and 25-foot-high gravity-defying boulder over the temple’s roof.

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The Malayalam word, Kallil, means ‘in stone’. The temple, indeed, is a marvel in stone. It is also called the Kallil Cave Temple.

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One image you see climbing is the petroglyph — or rock carving — of Vardhama Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.

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The carving is now considered as that of Lord Brahma, the Creator among the triumvirate of the Hindu pantheon. The temple authorities, however, gave an alternative perspective.

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The temple holds its eight-day annual festival on the day of Karthika in the month of Vrishchika (November-December) in the Malayalam calendar.

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The stone puja is conducted to seek the Bhagawathy’s blessings to complete the construction of houses. The belief is that the house will be completed within a year without any hindrance.

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