BHAGAVATHITEMPLE, CHERPU, TRICHURDISTRICT-KERALA
Introduction The Bhagavathy Temple in Cherpu, Thrissur is a significantancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Durga, believed to be one of the 108Durgalayas consecrated bySage Parashurama. Thetemple is famous for its role in thePeruvanam Pooram and Arattupuzha Pooram festivals and its main deity, BhoomiDevi, an incarnation of Durga. The temple features separate shrines for other deities like Ganesha and Krishna. Itis especially known for blessings related to children's speech and writing.Devotees also visit the temple for land related things like selling,purchasing, construction of home etc. Key information Location: Cherpu, Thrissur, Kerala Main Deity: Bhoomi Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Durga Other Deities: Ganesha and Krishna Significance: Considered the greatest of the 108 Durgalayas consecrated bySage Parashurama. Festivals: Plays a major role in the Peruvanam Pooram andArattupuzha Pooram festivals. Specialty: The main offering is Chathussatham, a special dishmade of coconut, jaggery, rice, Kadali banana fruits, and ghee. Features and religioussignificance Deity: The temple's primary deity is Goddess Bhagavathy, who is also called "BhumiDevi," associated with property matters. Festivals: The temple is an important participant in thePeruvanam Pooram and Arattupuzha Pooram, two significant festivals in Kerala. Rituals: A popular ritual at the temple is the bhoomi poojafor resolving property-related issues. Chief deity Bhagavathy, the divine consort of Lord Siva, acts as the hostof the 2000 year old PeruvanamPooram and is also a leading deity of the 1400 plus year old DevaMela – the Arattupuzha Pooram. Specialty Bhagavathy, the presiding deity of the ancient temple ofCherpu is something more. She is the Mother and like a true mother, She isdetermined to make Her devotees prosper and excel. She is the deified sweetness of Maternal Love. As Saraswathy, She blesses themwith knowledge and wisdom just as a mother lovingly teaches her children. As Lakshmy,She gives them prosperity; every mother loves to feed or clothe her beloved. As Parvathy,Bhagavathy gives them Shakti; a child knows well how comforting it’s mother’shands are. The devotee can beg for anything; health, wealth, fame, domestichappiness or knowledge; She grants them all. A mother is everything for herbaby, a teacher, a nurse or a provider. Bhagavathy will assume any qualitiesHer devotees want; except that of an angry destroyer. The temple had been one of the main centres of Yajurveda for hundreds of years –the Othuttu at the temple considered second only to the Murajapam at the SreePadmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Deity Mother Durga sits on ajewel-encrusted throne in the middle of this island. She is like a golden glow.She wears a golden dress and jewel studded ornaments. A crescent moon adornsHer head. Her twelve hands hold weapons representing the different qualitiesthat Her devotees seek. They are the conch, wheel, sword, shield, bow, arrow,mace, trident, nectar-crock and jewel pot. Two hands show the sign of refugeand benediction. Poojas Daily, with threepoojas conducted: usha-poojaat 6:30 AM, uccha-poojaat 8 AM, and athazhapooja at 7:45 PM.13 Mar 2024 Festivals Peruvanam Pooram – Participation The Pooram in its early form was a grand 28-day affairconducted solely at the premises of the Peruvanam Mahadeva Temple in Cherpu andwas started somewhere in the 1st Century AD. Around 500 years later it wasstopped because of certain technical glitches and restarted in the present formof a 10 day event. Later many deities broke away and organised their ownPoorams to satisfy the locals, the most famous of the lot being the ThrissurPooram which was started around 250 years back. Cherpu Bhagavathy’s Role: Of the 18 deities who attend thePeruvanam Pooram conducted on the Pooyam day of the Meenam month of theMalayalam calendar, CherpuBhagavathy has a special role in the proceedings. Bhagavathy acts as thehostess of the show and comes last, waiting for all the deities to finish theirprocessions before starting her own taking along with her anybody who is left. The Pooram at Peruvanam takes place on a walkway broad enoughto hold seven fully grown elephants. Only the best of elephants used to bearrayed on this walkway. That an elephant was chosen for the CherpuBhagavathy’s procession had been considered to be a mark of its perfect buildand grace. Cherpu from time immemorial has been setting standards in themaking of elephant decorations, choice of elephants and in the quality of itsMelam. It is said that the most musical of the Melams, called Panchari, wasdeveloped by the poet Mazhamangalam and first performed by the Peruvanam Mararfor Cherpu Bhagavathy. Arattupuzha Pooram – theDeva Mela In the early days 108 deities from a radius of some 50 kmsused to attend the Arattupuzha Pooram which comes on the Pooram day, 3 daysafter the Peruvanam Pooram. Twenty-threeof them continue to participate as of date. Significance of Cherpu Bhagavathy: Cherpu is the mostprominent partner of this procession hosting the elephants in its part of the array. The othersbeing Triprayar and Urakam. Other Related Events The festival starts onthe Aswathy day of the Meenam month. We offer Chathussatham – a sweet porridge made of rice, jaggery andcoconut milk – as Prasad to Bhagavathy in the evening and later takeBhagavathy’s idol in a colourful procession around the temple. To offer moneyas Aswathyppanam is excellent to beget children. Makeeram day marks the formal start of the festival parades.Bhagavathy also goes out of the temple for Arattu – the ceremonial bath. Shehas processions and Arattu on all days upto Atham. After the Peruvanam Pooram on Pooyam day and the climax ofthe season in Arattupuzha on the Pooram day we have the Uthram festivities at the temple and isconsidered one of the holiest events of the calendar. While the temple employeecalled Brahmani Amma singsin praise of Bhagavathy is the most auspicious time to pray at Herholy feet. On Atham day after the procession an elephant pullsdown the flagstaff thatwas erected in front of the temple at the start of the festival thus markingthe end of the summer festival. Anizham in Mithuna is Bhagavathy’s reconsecration day, thebirthday! The devotees bringtheir cows to the temple on the first day of Chingam and take them roundin Pradakshina. The Navaratrifestival, a very colourful one is very holy, the devotees flock hereduring that period. The ThiruvonamPattu in the month of Thulam also is of great significance. The devoteespray here during the function for prosperous marriage. The Mandala, the 41 daysbeginning from the first day of Vrischika used to be the period of Vedachanting and rituals. Offerings The most important offering here is Chathussatham, made of coconut, jaggery, riceKadali Banana fruits and Ghee. The temple uses coconut oil for the lamps which is unusual. The devotees offer Niramala; lighting thousands of wicks all-roundthe temple. Neippayasam, is another sweet dish which Bhagavathy likesparticularly. Mala, garland of flowers, is another important Seva here. Bhagavathy really loves Veda. The devotees can offer Murajapam where a scholar recites Veda. A special Seva is to offer Neippayasam on three successiveThiruvonams. This is to beget bridegrooms. Bhoomi Pooja helps take care of the devoteesproblems regarding their housing needs and real estate. Thrikala Pooja: The devotees offer the three Poojasof a day. Or they can offer Udayasthamana Pooja, 18 Poojas in a day. Bhagavathyfulfils all their wishes. An extremely beneficent Seva is the Navapradakshina, going round the temple nine times in circumambulationon Fridays. Location The ancient CherpuBhagavathy temple of Padinjattumuri is situated in a calm and serene settingabout thirteen kilometressouth of Thrissur along the Thrissur-Triprayar Road. How to reach thetemple The outstation pilgrims have to alight at the Thrissur railway station. Thrissur-Cherpu-Triprayarbus route. Padinjattumuri busstop. As the temple is off the main road they would have to walk acouple hundred metres to reach there. What is CherpuBhagavathy temple famous for? This ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and plays amajor role in two of the most popular Pooram festivals of Kerala. These are the famous PeruvanamPooram and Arattupuzha Pooram. Temple timings The temple is open from 5 AM to 9 AM and from 5:30 PM to 7:30PM Temple timings Morning: 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM Evening: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Address: Sree Cherpu Bhagavathi Temple, Cherpu, Thrissur District,Kerala 680561. Phone number: 0487-2341151 Website: cherpubhagavathy.com. How To Reach By Air: Cochin International Airport is situated 46.7 KM fromthe temple. By Rail: Thrissur Railway Station is 12.8 KM from the Temple. By Road: Thrissur KSRTC Bus Stand is 12.4 KM from the Temple. Administration The temple over the years was governed by five Ooralans, thefamilies of Kirangat Mana, Chittoor Mana, Padinjaredathu Mana, AmbalappillyMana and Pazhedath Mana. A group of five ancestral families known as the Ooraalans. Itis not under the direct administration of a single government-appointedofficial. Information summarised , compiledand posted by R. Gopalakrishnan on 20-10-2025. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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