Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
മലയാലപ്പുഴ ദേവീ ക്ഷേത്രം
Devi (Bhadrakali, Malayalapuzha Amma) temple · Malayalapuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
Photo: Prasanthajantha · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple, also known as Malayalapuzha Devi Temple, is a shrine to the goddess Bhadrakali in Malayalapuzha village, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala (Kerala Tourism). The goddess is popularly called Malayalapuzha Amma, the Mother of Malayalapuzha (Hinduism Today). The temple is about 9 km from the Pathanamthitta municipal bus stand (DTPC Pathanamthitta).
Kerala Tourism describes the deity as a fierce yet benevolent form of Shakti or Parvati (Kerala Tourism). The temple draws large crowds on Tuesdays and Fridays, and its annual festival in the month of Kumbham ends with the Aarattu (Kerala Tourism; DTPC Pathanamthitta).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
Devotees believe the goddess protects them from enemies and helps with marriage, employment and business (Hinduism Today). A 1999 report described Tuesdays and Fridays as the most important days for darshan and estimated that about one in four visitors at that time was Christian or Muslim (Hinduism Today).
The same report recorded several vow-based customs: women offering a mangalya sutra while praying for a happy marriage, fishermen tying a strip of the goddess's cloth to their boats, farmers vowing their first harvest to her, and new buses being brought to the temple for a blessing before entering service (Hinduism Today).
Heritage
History of Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
The temple's age is not documented, and sources disagree. Kerala Tourism says it is believed to be over 1,000 years old, while the District Tourism Promotion Council puts the belief at over 3,000 years, the figure also given by the temple's head priest in a 1999 interview (Kerala Tourism; DTPC Pathanamthitta; Hinduism Today). These are traditional estimates rather than a historical record.
According to a legend reported by Kerala Tourism, the goddess was first worshipped in a simple form by a group of forest-dwelling people, and the shrine later grew into the present temple (Kerala Tourism).
In 1999 the temple was administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board, and Hinduism Today reported it as one of the Board's highest-earning temples at the time (Hinduism Today).
Architecture and sacred features
The temple is a medium-sized structure with a gopuram at its eastern entrance, a small namaskara mandapam, a chuttambalam (cloister), a balikkalpura and a rectangular sanctum fronted by a mukhamandapam (Kerala Tourism). The main idol of the goddess is about 5.5 feet tall and is made by the Katu Sarkara Yogam technique, a composite of woods, clay, Ayurvedic herbs, jaggery and other materials described in the Shilpa Shastra tradition (DTPC Pathanamthitta; Kerala Tourism).
Beside the goddess is a Shiva linga believed to be self-manifested (swayambhu); it has no shrine of its own and stands under a Konna (Indian laburnum) tree (Kerala Tourism). Devotees say the linga surfaced on its own (Hinduism Today).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Tuesdays and Fridays are the busiest days at the temple (Kerala Tourism; Hinduism Today), and Kerala Tourism suggests October to March as the best time to visit (Kerala Tourism). Opening hours are listed by DTPC Pathanamthitta (checked October 2026); confirm current darshan arrangements with the Travancore Devaswom Board or the temple office before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Travancore Devaswom Board (as reported by Hinduism Today, 1999) before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
Annual festival (Utsavam)
The festival begins on the Thiruvathira star in Kumbham and closes with the Aarattu, when the deity is taken in procession for a ritual bath on the eleventh day (DTPC Pathanamthitta; Kerala Tourism). Festival days include Kazhcha Sreebali, Utsavabali and Kathakali (Malayala Manorama).
Malayalapuzha Pooram
The local karas of Nalloor, Idanad, Eram and Thazham each hold a festival day, and the pooram with caparisoned elephants is organised jointly by the karas and the temple advisory committee (Malayala Manorama). Kerala Tourism names the pooram as a highlight of the temple's year (Kerala Tourism).
Navaratri, Vinayaka Chaturthi and Shivaratri
Kerala Tourism lists these among the occasions celebrated at the temple (Kerala Tourism).
Vishu
The temple holds Vishukkani darshan early on Vishu morning (Malayala Manorama).
Location
How to Reach Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
The temple is about 9 km by road from the Pathanamthitta municipal bus stand (DTPC Pathanamthitta). The nearest railway station is Chengannur, about 34 km away, and the nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 114 km away (DTPC Pathanamthitta). Confirm current road and transport arrangements locally before travelling.
Location: Malayalapuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India 689666
Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (about 114 km, per DTPC Pathanamthitta)
Nearest railway station: Chengannur (about 34 km, per DTPC Pathanamthitta)
More in Hindu temples in Kerala · Devi (Bhadrakali, Malayalapuzha Amma) temples · Temples in Malayalapuzha (Part) · Temples in Konni Taluk · Temples in Pathanamthitta District
Questions
Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple?
It is in Malayalapuzha village in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala (Kerala Tourism), about 9 km from the Pathanamthitta municipal bus stand (DTPC Pathanamthitta).
Which goddess is worshipped at Malayalapuzha?
The presiding deity is Bhadrakali, described as a fierce yet benevolent form of Shakti or Parvati (Kerala Tourism). She is popularly called Malayalapuzha Amma (Hinduism Today).
What is special about the idol?
The main idol is about 5.5 feet tall and is made by the Katu Sarkara Yogam technique, using woods, clay, herbs and other materials rather than stone (DTPC Pathanamthitta; Hinduism Today).
How old is the temple?
Its age is uncertain. Kerala Tourism says it is believed to be over 1,000 years old, while DTPC Pathanamthitta and the temple's head priest, quoted in 1999, put it at over 3,000 years (Kerala Tourism; DTPC Pathanamthitta; Hinduism Today).
When is the Malayalapuzha temple festival?
The annual festival starts on the Thiruvathira star in Kumbham (February–March) and ends with the Aarattu on the eleventh day (Kerala Tourism; DTPC Pathanamthitta). The Malayalapuzha Pooram with elephants is held during this festival (Malayala Manorama).
Which days are busiest?
Tuesdays and Fridays draw the largest crowds (Kerala Tourism; Hinduism Today).
How do I reach the temple by train or air?
The nearest railway station is Chengannur, about 34 km away, and the nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 114 km away (DTPC Pathanamthitta).
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q16135340 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Malayalappuzha Devi Temple — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kerala Tourism (Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala) — Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple at Pathanamthitta
- District Tourism Promotion Council, Pathanamthitta — Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple
- Hinduism Today — All Her Children
- Malayala Manorama — Malayalapuzha utsavam: Kazhcha Sreebali begins before the Bhagavathi
- Malayala Manorama — Malayalapuzha Pooram filled with elephants and melam
- Malayala Manorama — Festival of the karas at Malayalapuzha from today
- Malayala Manorama — Vishukkani darshan (Pathanamthitta temples)
Further reading: Malayalapuzha Bhagavathy Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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