Varakkal Temple: The ancient temple on a hillock

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The Varakkal temple on a hillock & next to the beach is a beautiful place of worship which holds a lot of history to it. This temple is considered to be the 108th & last Devi temple consecrated by Lord Parasurama. It was not an easy feat to achieve due to the geology of the place which was full of rocks & boulders. The Goddess is said to have challenged Parasurama to find an appropriate place to have built the temple & to impress the Devi he ploughed the whole area which would have been a mountain effort during his time. It is said as per legend that Parasurama made the idol of Durga with his axe & he performed the Vavubali here to pay gratitude to all whom he had killed & conquered.

Durga Devi was so impressed by the penance & meditation of Parasurama that she promised to bless her devotees on the auspicious day of Chothi & Vavu. This was the last temple consecrated by Lord Parasurama & it went to neglect for many years as it was out of bounds for the locals & the temple priests could not find money to perform the daily rituals. The Perumals were responsible to bring the temple under their rule & took over the activities by giving it a designation of Mahakshethram. The Zamorins in the later centuries took it upon themselves to conduct daily rituals & they designed the temple as we see it today.

The long stairs up the temple make you see the whole sea as you arrive at the sanctum. The idol of Durga Devi appears in its entire splendor here with Dakshinamoorthi being the sub - deity. Inside the temple compound there is a cave structure called guhas which is unique as such a structure here is a rarity. You can still see the unique formations & carvings around the caves. The temple has many surprises for all & another unique sight is the pond within the rock which is quite a geological wonder & Lord Parasurama is said to have made the cavity to allow fresh water supply for the Devi puja. The architecture of the temple is based on traditional Kerala architecture & is according to the temple plans of other temples constructed by Zamorins. The earlier temple would have been a simple structure housing only the deity & ara for Dakshinamoorthy to pay respect to the sea nearby . The temple origin is also from treta yuga which makes it a very ancient temple

The most important ritual here is the Vavu Bali when thousands congregate to the temple to offer ancestaerial pujas. On the day of vavu, the usually harsh sea is seen to be calm allowing all to perform their pujas. The vavu bali rituals are conducted on the beach along the temple & is an important event in Malabar as it is considered that the Goddess herself comes to the temple & blesses all the departed souls as promised to Lord Parasurama. The temple is an important stop for all who undertake the Dakshin Pilgrimage & for all Ayyapans on Sabarimala yatra to wash all their sins by praying to ancestors.

The temple may have lost its importance due to neglect in the earlier centuries but its presence over many yugas is the reason why it is revered by all who come here.

 

Location: Varakkal Temple Rd, West Hill, Kozhikode, Kerala 673005, India

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