It is believed that four Ambika Temples Goddess Balambika at Cape-Comerin Goddess Lokambika at Loakanarkavu near Badagara, Goddess Mookambika at Mangalore and Goddess Hemambika at Palakkad were consecrated by Parashurama for the safety of Kerala, the Land of recovered from the Sea.
The God’s Own Country Kerala and its devotees are always highly blessed with unstinting benedictions of her Highness. About 15 KM away from the present Malampuzha reservoir, in the inaccessible valley of the dense Vadamala forest, a section of the Western Ghats(Paschima Ghatta), locally known as Muthikulam, Mudiyolambi, Aduppukootty, Poonkavanam etc., there was a divine shrine of Goddess Durga. The legend says that Kurur and Kaimukku Nampoothiris used to visit this holey place daily for worship, crossing the protected tempestuous mountains tracks on naked feet. Years passed on without any change in their daily routine. One day while returning home after worship, due to the vagaries of old age, they were forced to take rest under a tree. An old woman appeared before them and gave them some sweet fruits which they gladly accepted. They were suddenly relived of their fatigue and felt surprisingly refreshed. These two ardent devotees on their journey next day, reached near the tree to find a huge elephant standing before them. Beside the elephant they had the ‘Darshan’ of the golden coloured Goddess. From that day onwards, they started worshipping the Goddess under the tree. Kurur was incapacitated by old age and found it difficult to carry out the daily routine of worship in the mountain. One night, Goddess papered before him in his dream and consoled him that she will be seen in the pond near his house and can worship her there. Early next morning the radiant devotees rushed towards the pond and found two beautiful hands coming out of water in the middle of the lake. Kurur, on his excitement, jumped into the pond, swam to the centre and caught of hold of the hands. Immediately, the hands turned into stone, becomes stationary. The Kallekulangara, where the temple is situated, derives its name from this incident. With the help of the friend Kaimukku Kuru worshipped the hands. The present temple was constructed by filling the lake around those divine hands. The Five Ponds surrounding the temple amply prove that the temple was constructed on the land reclaimed from the lake. Kurur instructed the local ruler, Shekhari Verma Valiya Raja of Palakkad for commencing the work of constructing the temple. To-day, the Executive Officer, appointed by the Malabar Devaswom Board looks after the day to-day administration of the temple.
It was Aadi Shankara who brought an order in the mode of daily worship and decided upon the different offerings to the deity. The Goddess is worshipped as Saraswathy in the Morning, as Lakshmi at Noon and as Durga in Evening. The very old Shiva Temple of Chendamangalam and the Shiva and Shastha Temple of Easwaramangalam are in the vicinity of Hemambika Temple which have greatly contributed to the sanctity of place. Besides the major festivals of Dassara, Shivarathri, Mandala Pooja, Easwaraseva etc., and many holy days are systematically celebrated here. Important offerings to the Goddess are Naivilakku (Ghee Lamp), Kalabham (Sandal Paste), Chathussatham, Naipayasam etc., Hemambika Sanskrit High School, an educational institution of prominence is being run under the guidance of the Devaswom, mainly with a view of propagating and improving the study of sacred language (Deva Bhasha) Sanskrit. One famous Elephant named “Rajagopalan” owned by Kallekulangara Devaswom.
The Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are the most auspicious days here. It is presumed that the Deity appears as Saraswathy Devi in the dawn, Lakshmi Devi at noon and Sree Devidurga at dusk and combination of Pooja is conducted with an assumption of the distinctive Bhava Swaroopa of the Goddess. To safeguard the malefic effects of Jupiter, Offering shall be given to Guruvayurappan, as told by the ancient Astro-Stalwarts. Alike this faith, to eliminate the malefic effects of Goddesses, offering shall be rendered to Emoor Sreebhagavathy. Among the thidhis, Ashtami is considered here as propitious. Vidyarambham ceremony is also conducted with strong devotion.
Thousands of devotees flock to Her sanctum sanctoram and call out to Her forgetting themselves. She protects them all with Her boundless love. The number of renowned personages from various fields of life who rush to prostrate before Her, the embodiment of the Ultimate Truth, is increasing day by day. Late Smt.Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, was prominent among them.
Courtesy ---http://news.keralakaumudi.com/
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