The goddess who appeared to Vilwamangalam
At the centre of Chottanikkara is not a carved image but a stone. Incredible India records that the deity is swayambhu — self-manifested — a form in laterite known as the Rudraksha Sila. On the same pedestal, the Devaswom's own site records, stands an image of Mahavishnu, which is why the goddess is also called Ammenarayana and Lakshminarayana; Brahma, Shiva, Ganapathi, Subramanya and Sastha are on the pedestal too.
The goddess is Rajarajeswari, also called Adiparasakthi, and she is worshipped across the day in three forms: as Saraswathy in the morning, Lakshmi at noon and Durga in the evening.
Legend gives the shrine a line of founders and worshippers. Incredible India records that Adi Shankaracharya is credited with establishing the temple in the 8th century, and that Bhogacharya worshipped the divine presence here. Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Kakkasseri Bhattathiri and Chemmangattu Bhattathiri are remembered among those who worshipped the deity.
Vilwamangalam is the figure on whom the temple's great festival turns. The Devaswom records the belief that on the day of the Makom star the Bhagavathy, in her full attire, gave darshan to Vilwamangalam Swamiyar — and that she appears in the same way on that day every year. That is the Makom Thozhal: on Makom day in the month of Kumbham the goddess is adorned with gold and diamonds and devotees come for her darshan from two in the afternoon to eight at night, a sight believed to bring a long married life.
Vilwamangalam is also tied to the second temple below the first. East of the temple pond is Kizhukkavu, the shrine of Bhadrakali in her fierce form, and the Devaswom records that its west-facing idol is believed to have been installed by him. Here, every night after the main evening pooja, the chief priest of the principal deity comes down to perform the Valiya Guruthy, prepared in twelve large cauldrons.
The story accounts for the two levels of worship a visitor meets: the calm, three-form goddess of the upper temple, and the fierce goddess below, to whom people bring those they believe to be troubled in mind. Kerala Tourism records the belief that the deity can cure mental illness; that is a statement of devotees' faith, not a medical claim.
Where this account comes from
- Temple administration: Chottanikkara Devaswom (Cochin Devaswom Board), official website home page — deities, pooja timings, festivals chottanikkarabhagavathy.org · seen 2026-10-09
- Temple administration: Chottanikkara Devaswom (Cochin Devaswom Board), "Guruthy" chottanikkarabhagavathy.org · seen 2026-10-09
- Temple administration: Chottanikkara Devaswom (Cochin Devaswom Board), "Festivals" chottanikkarabhagavathy.org · seen 2026-10-09
- Government: Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India), "Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple, Kochi" incredibleindia.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09