Tucked deep in the heart of Periyar Tiger Reserve, an ancient monument stands singing tales of history and folklore. A beacon of spiritual experience, the Mangaladevi temple stands as a harmonious confluence of Tamil and Malayali cultural traditions. Once a year, when the full moon graces the dark night sky, the temple transforms into a glorious spiritual nucleus. Known as the Chitra Pournami festival, it witnesses the attendance of Tamil and Malayali devotees alike.
Chitra Pournami 2024: About Idukki’s Mangaladevi Temple
Mangaldevi Kannagi temple Chitra Pournami festival was celebrated yesterday. This ancient temple is situated on the peak of 1330m exactly on the border of TN (Theni dt)-KL. Open only once a year. Temple comes under Kerala ASI. The border dispute between TN and KL is in court. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/o56WCeOdU3
— Tamil Nadu Geography (@TNGeography) May 6, 2023
According to an article which was recently published by Onmanorama, this particular temple will celebrate the festival on April 23. In order to make the necessary preparations, a joint meeting will be held at Thekkady Bamboo Grove on April 13.
The joint meeting will be led by Idukki and Theni district administration. A team also visited the temple to assess the needs required for the preparation of the festival. The team was spearheaded by the sub-collector Dr. Arun S Nair.
As per the Onmanorama article, the preparations for the festival at the temple will begin from the next week onwards. The festival will be celebrated in an environment-friendly manner and will be jointly organised by the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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Other Important Details That You Need To Know About This
Cheran Chenguttuvan, the king of ancient Tamilakam, had erected the temple for Kannagi around 2000 years back at Vannathiparai and called as Mangaladevi Kannagi temple. It is closed throughout the year opened during the Chitra Pournami festival. pic.twitter.com/S9WAT78OWO
— மேகமலைக்காதலன் ( A true lover of Megamalai ) (@MegamalaiS) June 4, 2023
One of the salient features of the festival is the lack of usual festive markers like ceremonial elephants and processions. Since the temple is located in a remote location, how people found out about it is still shrouded in mystery.
It is assumed that the temple is around 2,000 to 2,500 years old. It is still not known who built this religious shrine. Some sources say that Senguttuvan Chera, one of the most celebrated rulers of the Chera Dynasty, built the temple after listening to the story of Kannagi by Illangi Adigal.
The temple is located 13 kilometres from the Kumily region in Idukki and devotees can avail of the jeep services that take pilgrims to the temple.
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Have you ever been to this temple or celebrated Chitra Pournima? How was your experience of it? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
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