Paramara Bhagawathy Temple
The temple is at Paramara , opposite Ernakulam Town Hall. Here the deity Bhagawathy faces north, a rare experience. This temple is also known in two other different names – Parambanar Kulangara Bhagawathy and Paramara Grandma.
Shiva, Ganapathy, Brahmarakshas, Nagayakshi and Alunkal Bhagawathy are also accommodated here as sub-deities.
There is a legend behind this temple. A Brahmin from far away place reached Parambanar Kulangara. He had a practice of carrying an idol of a goddess for worship wherever he goes. He kept the idol at Parambanar Kulangara for worship. No sooner the worship is over than he ventured to lift the idol. The idol was stabilized and could not lift. The locals heard of this and they immediately raised a temple there. The temple gradually became famous and came to be known as Paramara Bhagawathy temple.
Paramara Bhagawathy possesses various powers to the welfare of devotees. Cheranallur Kunchu Kartha, the erstwhile ruler of Cheranallur province, and his family and relatives treated Paramara Bhagawathy as their household deity. Kunchu Kartha was so eminent that Kottarathil Sankunni, a wellknown poet of the time, who penned ‘Aithihyamala’ (great poems about history) has devoted an entire chapter of it to Kunchu Kartha.
The annual festival is in the month of Kumbam (February/March). Vela, Padayani, Garudan Thookkam are some functions among other entertaining functions during the festival.
