Temple enshrines a Panchaloha idol of the goddess Karikkakathamma ? an incarnation of Chamundi. The rare fact about this temple is that Chamundi Devi is worshipped here in three different forms: Maha Chamundi, Raktha Chamundi, and Bala Chamundi.
Shrine’s History
Karikkakom Devi temple or Karikkakom Chamundi Devi temple is a famous Goddess temple in Trivandrum. This ancient temple is more than 600 years old. The temple enshrines a panchaloha idol of goddess Karikathamma,which is an incarnation of goddess Parvathi Devi. Legend has that people of the older generation and the astrologers attribute over 500 years of antiquity to the temple. At the time of the king’s rule, this temple was a place of Justice and Truth. In this temple, truth and justice were tested and punishments were also decided.
Even today the cases which the police and the Court failed to prove, are being proved in the presence of the deity, which is another speciality of this famous temple. Without any barrier of caste and creed, people flock from different places to seek the truth and take oaths not to commit further sins, which is a regular scene here. After a bath from the pool in the temple compound, the plaintiff and the defendant are brought before the deity and made to stand before the Goddess with folded bands. Then they are made to take an oath. Those who make false oaths will get immediate retribution.
Those who get justice will submit offering before Goddess which include gold, silver, money etc. It is said that certain valuable articles stolen from the royal palace, got located on submitting the offering to the deity here. On the right side of the Devi, Nada is the Rakta Chamundi nada. There is no idol in this ‘Nada’ but only a wall painting of the Devi in a ‘Rowdra Bhava’. There was a ritual in the ancient times, of people standing before this shrine of the Devi and vowing, to tell the truth. This ‘Nada’ will be opened only for this particular ritual. The person concerned will have to keep 21 coins in the Nada and promise, to tell the truth. Those who made this promise believed that the Devi would protect them if they are truthful and punish them if they are not.
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By Road
The nearest Bus stop is Karikkakom Bus station
By Rail
The nearest railhead is the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station
By Air
The nearest airport is the Trivandrum International Airport.
Shrine Timings
05:00 to 11:30 (All days of the week (Morning)) 16:30 to 20:30 (All days of the week (Evening))
Events Celebrated at This Shrine
Pongal is the main festival celebrated at Karikkakom Devi Temple.The main festival of this temple is Makam in the Malayalam month of meenam that day is celebrated as devi’s birthday and this festival is known as Ulsava Mahamaham.
