Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
Devi temple · Kattanam (Bharanikavu), Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Photo: Dvellakat · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Bharanikkavu Devi Temple is a goddess (Devi) temple at Kattanam in Mavelikkara taluk, Alappuzha district, Kerala (Kerala State Archaeology Department; Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). The Bharanikavu area takes its name from this temple, which the local panchayat describes as an ancient Devi temple (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
The temple is known locally for its Meenabharani festival (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). A stone image of the Buddha, kept in a small mandapa in front of the temple, is a protected monument listed by the Kerala State Archaeology Department (Kerala State Archaeology Department).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
The Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat links the name of the land to the temple and to the region's heritage of kavus, or sacred groves (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). It calls the Meenabharani Mahotsavam, held at the temple, the cultural hallmark of the region (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
The temple premises also hold an ancient Buddha statue that was found in Bharanikavu, according to the panchayat (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). The Kerala State Archaeology Department lists this Buddha image at the Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam, among its protected monuments (Kerala State Archaeology Department).
Heritage
History of Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
The Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat calls the temple ancient but gives no founding date (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat), and no reliable source found gives one. The Buddha image in front of the temple is recorded by the Kerala State Archaeology Department as a protected monument (Kerala State Archaeology Department), and the panchayat says the statue was found in Bharanikavu itself (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
Kerala Kaumudi reported the dedication of a newly built manimandapam at the Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam, offered by a devotee as a votive offering and led by the temple's tantri (chief priest) (Kerala Kaumudi). The report says the ceremony was to be followed by an Aswathi sadya (feast) and an akasha deepa kazhcha, a display of lamps, in the evening (Kerala Kaumudi).
Architecture and sacred features
The Buddha image stands in a small mandapa in front of the temple (Kerala State Archaeology Department). The department describes it as a granite figure about two feet high including its pedestal, seated in yogasana, with the upper cloth folded over the left shoulder and lying flat on the chest, and with the ushnisha and jvala that it notes are typical of Buddha images found in Kerala (Kerala State Archaeology Department).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
No official source found lists darshan timings or dress rules for this temple. Confirm current arrangements with the temple administration before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
Meenabharani Mahotsavam
The temple's festival held on the Bharani asterism in the month of Meenam, together with the ritual called Nooronnukalam (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). The panchayat describes it as the cultural hallmark of the region (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
Location
How to Reach Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
The temple is at Kattanam, beside the Mavelikkara–Kattanam road, in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district (Kerala State Archaeology Department). Kattanam lies within the Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat, which borders Thamarakulam and Chunakkara to the east, Krishnapuram and Chettikulangara to the west, Thekkekara to the north and Vallikunnam to the south (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). No official source found gives distances to the nearest railway station or airport, so these are not listed here.
Location: Kattanam (Bharanikavu), Alappuzha, Kerala, India
More in Hindu temples in Kerala · Devi temples · Temples in Kattanam (Ct) · Temples in Mavelikkara Taluk · Temples in Alappuzha District
Questions
Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Bharanikkavu Devi Temple?
It is at Kattanam, beside the Mavelikkara–Kattanam road, in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district, Kerala (Kerala State Archaeology Department; Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
Who is worshipped at the temple?
It is a Devi (goddess) temple (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat; Kerala State Archaeology Department). The name Bharanikavu refers to the place and the temple; no reliable source describes a goddess called 'Bharani'.
Is Bharanikavu named after the temple?
Yes. The Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat says the area takes its name from the ancient Bharanikavu Devi Temple (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
What is the main festival?
The Meenabharani Mahotsavam, held on the Bharani asterism in the Malayalam month of Meenam along with the Nooronnukalam ritual (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat).
Why is there a Buddha image at the temple?
An ancient Buddha statue found in Bharanikavu is kept on the temple premises (Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat). It stands in a small mandapa in front of the temple and is a protected monument of the Kerala State Archaeology Department (Kerala State Archaeology Department).
Is this the same as other Bharanikkavu temples in Kerala?
No. This page covers the Devi temple at Kattanam in Alappuzha district (Kerala State Archaeology Department; Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat), not temples of similar name elsewhere, such as in Kollam district.
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q16133801 — structured data (CC0)
- Kerala State Archaeology Department — Buddha Image at Bharanikkavu Devi Temple, Kattanam
- Kerala State Archaeology Department — Buddha image, Bharanikkavu
- Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat — History of Grama Panchayat
- Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat — Bharanikavu Grama Panchayat (home page)
- Kerala Kaumudi — Manimandapam dedication (Kattanam, Alappuzha local news)
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