Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple

Part of a series on
Hinduism
Hindu History
Concepts God Brahman Ishvara Views on monotheism God and gender Life Atman Maya Karma Samsara Purusharthas Dharma Artha Kama Moksha Ethics Niti shastra Yamas Niyama Ahimsa Asteya Aparigraha Brahmacharya Satya Damah Dayā Akrodha Ārjava Santosha Tapas Svādhyāya Shaucha Mitahara Dāna Liberation Bhakti yoga Jnana yoga Karma yoga
Schools Six Astika schools Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mimamsa Vedanta Dvaita Advaita Vishishtadvaita Other schools Pasupata Saiva Pratyabhijña Raseśvara Pāṇini Darśana Charvaka
Deities Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Other major Devis / Devas Puranic Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Shakti Durga Kali Ganesha Kartikeya Rama Krishna Hanuman Vedic Prajapati Rudra Indra Agni Dyaus Bhumi Varuna Vayu
Texts Scriptures Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda Samaveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishad Upanishads Rigveda: Aitareya Kaushitaki Yajurveda: Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Shvetashvatara Maitri Samaveda: Chandogya Kena Atharvaveda: Mundaka Mandukya Prashna Other scriptures Bhagavat Gita Agama (Hinduism) Other texts Vedangas Shiksha Chandas Vyakarana Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Vāmana Purana Matsya Purana Garuda Purana Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Bhavishya Purana Padma Purana Agni Purana Shiva Purana Linga Purana Kūrma Purana Skanda Purana Varaha Purana Mārkandeya Purana Itihasas Ramayana Mahabharata Upavedas Ayurveda Dhanurveda Gandharvaveda Sthapatyaveda Shastras and Sutras Dharma Shastra Artha Shastra Yoga Vasistha Sutras Stotras Tantras Yoga Sutra Text classification Śruti Smriti Timeline of Hindu texts
Practices Worship Puja Temple Murti Bhakti Japa Bhajana Yajna Homa Tirthadana Vrata Prāyaścitta Tirtha Meditation and Charity Tapa Dhyana Dāna Yoga Asana Hatha yoga Jnana yoga Bhakti yoga Karma yoga Raja yoga Rites of passage Garbhadhana Pumsavana Simantonayana Jatakarma Namakarana Nishkramana Annaprashana Chudakarana Karnavedha Vidyarambha Upanayana Praishartha Keshanta Ritushuddhi Samavartana Vivaha Antyeshti Ashrama Dharma Ashrama: Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Festivals Navaratri Vijayadashami (Dasara) Diwali (Deepavali) Shivaratri Holi Kumbha Mela Ratha Yatra Vishu Bihu Baisakhi Mesha Sankranti Puthandu Ganesh Chaturthi Onam Rama Navami Janmashtami Raksha Bandhan Durga Puja
Gurus, saints, philosophers Ancient Gautama Angiras Aruni Ashtavakra Annamacharya Jaimini Kanada Kapila Pāṇini Patanjali Raikva Satyakama Jabala Valmiki Vyasa Yajnavalkya Nayanars Alvars Medieval Adi Shankara Basava Jñāneśvar Chaitanya Gangesha Upadhyaya Gaudapada Jayanta Bhatta Kabir Kumarila Bhatta Madhusudana Madhva Namdeva Nimbarka Prabhakara Raghunatha Siromani Ramanuja Sankardev Śyāma Śastri Vedanta Desika Tyagaraja Tukaram Tulsidas Vachaspati Mishra Vallabha Vidyaranya Modern Aurobindo Coomaraswamy Chinmayananda Dayananda Saraswati Gandhi Krishnananda Saraswati Narayana Guru Prabhupada Ramakrishna Ramana Maharshi Radhakrishnan Sivananda U. G. Krishnamurti Vivekananda Yogananda Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade Mata Amritanandamayi
Other topics Calendar Criticism Denominations Iconography Mythology Nationalism (Hindutva) Persecution Pilgrimage sites Hinduism and Jainism / and Judaism Hinduism by country
Glossary of Hinduism terms Hinduism portal

Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Parvati (known as Bhagavathi). It is located near Colachel in the western coast of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. This is one among the most renowned and important Hindu temples in the district.

This temple on the sea shore is a sought after pilgrim centre for both people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Due to some unknown reasons people from Kollam district in Kerala frequent this temple and according to some versions this is due to the links to erstwhile Venadu, an ancient kingdom whose capital was Kollam. Venadu traces the links to imperial Cheras, from the three kingdoms of extreme south India Chera, Chola and Pandya. These are said to be three brothers from ancient Porkai, near Thiruchendoor. Travancore kings were from the Chera lineage as believed. Many temples in the region are traced to Chera and Pandya lineages, the former more.

The Kodai festival at Mondaicaudu is a major celebration in the region and as in Sabarimala people flock here, especially women. To accommodate the large populations special buses run between Nagercoil and nearby towns at the time, there are also chain services operated from Thiruvananthapuram. The idol here is unique and is earthy. The worship is also unique as it is not forbidden to cook and eat non-vegetarian foods, as in most other major Hindu temples, during the festival. One can see meat being cooked during the Ponkala days around the temple.

There is a folk history that Velu Thampi, a minister of Travancore, took over the temple from a local Nayar Tharavadu at Colachel, after a tussle, and the then Karanavar cursed him and killed himself, later Velu Thampi himself driven to the same fate after his fights with the British. The take over of Hindu temples by the state ensued during the British times in Travancore later.

The goddess of this temple is also linked with Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy text of Ayyavazhi. Though Bhagavathi is mentioned in Akilam, its view of the goddess is different from that of the other Hindu views.

Kanyakumari District History Travancore Battle of Colachel Travancore-Cochin Administration Taluks Agastheeswaram Kallkkulam Thovalai Vilavancode Blocks Agastheeswaram Killiyoor Kurunthancode Melpuram Munchirai Rajakkamangalam Thiruvattar Thovalai Thuckalay Municipalities Colachel Kuzhithurai Nagercoil Padmanabhapuram Town panchayats Agastheeswaram Alur Anjugramam Aralvaimozhi Arumanai Asaripallam Attoor Azhagappapuram Azhagiapandiapuram Boothapandi Edaikodu Eraniel Ezhudesam Ganapathipuram Kadayal Kaliyakkavilai Kallukuttam Kanyakumari Kappiyarai Karungal Keezhkulam Killiyur Kodimunai Kollancode Kothanalloor Kottaram Kulasekaram Kumarapuram Manavalakurichi Mandaikadu Marthandam Marungoor Mulagumudu Myladi Nallur Neiyyur Pacode Palapallam Pazhugal Ponmanai Puthalam Pudukadai Reethapuram South Thamaraikulam Suchindram Thalakudi Thengampudur Theroor Thingalnagar Thiruparappu Thiruvattar Thiruvithamcode Unnamalaikadai Valvaithankoshtam Vellimalai Verkilambi Vilavoor Villukuri Religious sites Devi Kanya Kumari Temple Thanumalayan Temple Kumara coil Marunthuvazh Malai Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple Nagaraja Temple Our Lady of Ransom Church, Kanyakumari St. Arockiya Nathar Church, Vavathurai Pancha pathi Peer Mohammed Dargah Sivalayams Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple St. Xavier's Church Swamithope pathi Thirunadhikkara Thiruppathisaram Thirucharanathumalai Chitharal Jain Monuments Tourism Kanyakumari Kalikesam Mathur Aqueduct Mukkadal Dam Muttom Olakaruvi Padmanabhapuram Palace Pechiparai Reservoir Sothavilai Beach Thiruparrapu Udayagiri Vattakottai Fort Vattakottai Vattaparai Falls Major festivals Pongal Deepavali Christmas Ayya Vaikunda Avataram Ganesh Chaturdhi New Year Onam Ramzan Saraswati pooja Sivalaya Ottam Education Colleges Cape Institute of Technology Bishop Agniswamy College of Education CSI Institute of Technology Malankara Catholic College Nesamony Memorial Christian College Noorul Islam College of Engineering Ponjesly College of Engineering Scott Christian College South Travancore Hindu College St. Xavier's College of Engineering Sun College of Engineering University College of Engineering,Nagercoil Schools SRKBV School Carmel Higher Secondary School Excel Central School Excel Global School Government Higher Secondary School, Peruvilai Scott Christian Higher Secondary School Railway stations Eraniel Kanyakumari Kulitthurai Kuzhitthurai West Nagercoil Junction Nagercoil Town Viranialur