Bhadrakali (Devi) temple · Chettikulangara, near Mavelikkara, Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Chettikulangara Devi Temple, also called Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple, is a goddess temple at Chettikulangara in Mavelikkara taluk, Alappuzha district, Kerala. Kerala Tourism describes it as one of the best-known Devi temples in the state. The presiding deity is Sree Bhadrakali, a fierce and protective form of the Goddess whom devotees call Chettikulangara Amma.
The temple is known across Kerala for the Kumbha Bharani festival in February–March. That day brings Kettukazhcha, a procession of towering decorated chariots and effigies built by thirteen local communities (karas), and Kuthiyottam, a ritual dance offering performed by boys.
Faith & Tradition
In Kerala tradition, Bhadrakali is a form of the Goddess said to have emerged from Shiva's third eye to destroy evil. At Chettikulangara she is worshipped as the guardian goddess of the Onattukara region, and the temple's festival year is organised around thirteen karas, or territorial communities, around the temple.
The temple's festival culture is distinctive enough to have been given legal protection. In 2017 The Hindu reported that two offerings made at the sites where the festival structures are built, Kuthiramoottil kanji and Therummoottil kanji, had received Geographical Indication tags. Names such as Chettikulangara Amma, Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha and Kuthiyottam were also registered as trademarks, in the name of the Sree Devi Vilasam Hindu Matha Convention, an organisation of the thirteen karas.
Heritage
The temple's official website and Kerala Tourism both say the temple is believed to be more than 1,200 years old. One tradition quoted on the temple website holds that it was consecrated in 823 CE by Padmapadacharya, a disciple of Adi Shankara. No inscription or archaeological study confirming either date was found, so both should be read as traditional accounts.
According to the temple legend retold by Kerala Tourism, elders of Chettikulangara who had been humiliated at a neighbouring temple prayed to the Goddess of Kodungallur. They received a vision that she would come to Chettikulangara, and the temple was built to receive her. The festival calendar still keeps this link: some accounts of the festival year describe a farewell procession (Aswathy Utsavam) at the end of the festival season that symbolically sends the Goddess back towards Kodungallur.
The temple website places Kettukazhcha within the wider cultural history of Central Travancore and connects some of its forms with older regional traditions. Today the festival is large enough that, in 2026, the state government declared a local holiday in Mavelikkara and Karthikappally taluks for Kumbha Bharani on 23 February, as reported by Kerala Kaumudi.
The temple follows the Kerala temple tradition, with the shrine of Bhadrakali at the centre and subsidiary shrines nearby. The most striking structures at Chettikulangara are temporary: the kuthiras (decorated temple cars) and therus (chariots) built for Kettukazhcha. The Hindu has reported kuthiras about 70–75 feet tall, while Incredible India puts the largest structures at 90–100 feet. The figures vary between sources and from year to year. The karas also bring huge figures of Bhima, Hanuman and Panchali from the epics.
Plan Your Visit
Very large crowds come on Kumbha Bharani, and the district administration puts traffic arrangements in place on the roads used for Kettukazhcha. Plan for heavy congestion and long walks on festival day. Festival dates follow the Malayalam calendar (Bharani star in Kumbham) and change every year. Confirm current arrangements with the temple office or the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
The temple's main festival, held on Bharani star. The thirteen karas bring giant kuthiras, therus and figures of Bhima, Hanuman and Panchali to the temple, and the Goddess is taken out to see them.
A vowed offering in which boys, trained in advance under strict observances, are led to the temple in procession and perform a ritual dance to traditional songs. The Hindu describes it as symbolising elements of human sacrifice.
A ceremonial festival of welcome for the Goddess, with processions and traditional performances. The temple website lists it among the temple's main observances.
Location
Chettikulangara is near Mavelikkara in southern Alappuzha district. Kerala Tourism lists Mavelikkara railway station as about 6 km from the temple, and Kayamkulam Junction is another nearby railhead with more long-distance trains. Incredible India names Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as the nearest airport. Cochin International Airport is also used by visitors coming from the north. Buses and taxis run from Mavelikkara and Kayamkulam.
Location: Chettikulangara, near Mavelikkara, Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
Nearest railway station: Mavelikkara (about 6 km, per Kerala Tourism); Kayamkulam Junction
More in Hindu temples in Kerala · Bhadrakali (Devi) temples · Temples in Mavelikkara Taluk · Temples in Alappuzha District
Questions
The presiding deity is Sree Bhadrakali, a fierce protective form of the Goddess, worshipped locally as Chettikulangara Amma.
Kumbha Bharani falls on the Bharani star in the Malayalam month of Kumbham, usually in February or March. In 2026 it fell on 23 February.
Kettukazhcha is the procession of huge decorated structures (kuthiras and therus) and figures of epic characters such as Bhima, Hanuman and Panchali. The thirteen karas build them and bring them to the temple on Kumbha Bharani.
Kuthiyottam is a ritual dance offering made by boys, who train for weeks under devotional observances. Families undertake it as a vow to the Goddess.
The Hindu reported in 2017 that Kuthiramoottil kanji and Therummoottil kanji, rice-gruel offerings made where the festival structures are built, received Geographical Indication tags.
The temple and Kerala Tourism say it is believed to be more than 1,200 years old, and one tradition dates its consecration to 823 CE. These are traditional dates, not confirmed by inscriptions.
Mavelikkara railway station is about 6 km away according to Kerala Tourism. Kayamkulam Junction is another nearby option.
Further reading: Chettikulangara Devi Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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