Elaya Bhagawathi Temple in Palakkad

This late December, I visited the Elaya Bhagawathi temple on the Palakkad Town to Chittoor Road. It is at the 5th Mile point from the Manapulikkavu temple. Since it is one of the lesser known temples, I thought this blog will help people discover this temple.

The story of why this temple is important for us as an Ishta devata goes back to my grandfather's time. They were inhabitants of the Thekkegramam in Chittur. And, grandfather had gone to the Palakkad town to get his land sale proceedings registered, and was walking back to Chittur. On his way back, he just rested on a stone paved near the temple. He snoozed off. But when he woke up and walked back home, he forgot his bag of money at the stone space itself.

Next morning, when he woke up, he realised the mistake he made and prayed for safekeeping, and when he went back he found his money at the same place. But before that he saw the Elaya Bhagawati temple, a small discrete dilapidated building, and he got a darshan to thank her. That same night, he got a darshan of devi in his dream to say that he will be protected by "me"!

Henceforth, my grandfather, CP Ranga Iyer made Elaya Bhagawathi his ishta devata.

Nowadays, the temple external structures have been renovated and there is a pujari there, who opens the temple on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and all of the Navarathri days. It is a mesmerising experience to get Bhagawathi's blessings, as I did recently on 26th December 2008.

May her blessings be showered on all of us!