The Kozhikode Panniyankara Bhagavathi Temple was built almost two centuries before the city of Kozhikode itself. It is another fine example of the architecture of the era and period of the eleventh and twelfth century AD. The exact address of this temple is, the Kozhikode Muringath Sree Bhagavathi Kshethram Panniyankara with its post office located at kallai and the geographical district locationing being at Kozhikode, Kerala.
Devoted to the Mother Goddess, this temple has the unique and divine powers of Durga Devi still residing within the holy precincts of the temple where presently another form of the Mother Goddess, Bhadrakali Devi was being worshipped.
To prevent the older temple from falling further dilapidation and ruin, the temple committee, formed of well-meaning citizens of Panniyankara, had taken up the initiative of renovation.
Cultural Activities at Panniyankara Bhagvathi Temple
Just before taking up the renovation work at the Panniyankara Bhagavathi Temple there was the elaborate performance of the sanctified rituals known as ‘Achtamangala Devaprashnam’ in April 2008. Currently the entire focus of the temple management committee is to reconstruct on the earlier grand scale the temple around the main deity, Durga as well as the ‘Upadevtas’ or the lesser deities along with the Vedikas. These elaborate ritual and ceremonies were conducted to sanctify the entire temple precincts. The antiquity of the temple can be seen from the typical architecture of the Chera period which has a typical square ‘garbhgriha’ as well as ‘Mandapa’. Dating techniques show that certain parts of the temple as well as some places within its precincts where two granite slabs that have some rare inscriptions in an older form of the Malayalam language. These inscriptions date back to the eleven or twelve century AD.Other Activities
Currently the temple is under renovation. The eminent Vastu architecture expert or ‘Vastushilpi’, Sudhakaran Narikode, has taken over the task of reconstruction of the temple of the Mother Goddess. The idea was to ensure that the premises on which the temple had been constructed upon should be adhered to as closely as possible. It is for this reason that the Vastu expert and the ‘thanthri’ or chief manager are taking great pains to achieve us.The temple committee has already consulted eminent astrologers in the time tried method of ‘swaraprashnam’ or the practice of consulting the holy texts and the stars to determine the answer to events and occurrences of the future. All forms of ill-effects were removed through the performance of a number of highly specific poojas, ritual and ceremonies.
For sometime there was quite a debate about what should be the actual name of the temple. Currently the deity being worshipped is the ‘Bhadrakali’ Devi. Earlier the temple had been sanctified with the deity of Durga Devi. Therefore the new temple that is coming up is dedicated to Durga Devi.
How to Reach Bhagavathi Temple Kozhikode
The Kozhikode Bhagavati temple is easily accessible by road from various nearby locations like Thiruvannur which is just one kilometer away equally further off by one kilometer each are Meenchanela, and Payyanakkal. Then there is Mankave which is about two kilometers away.
Accommodation near Kozhikode Panniyankara Bhagavati Temple
Hotel Malabar GateRam Mohan Road,
Calicut – 673004. Kerala
Phone +91 495 2724534-40
Email: [email protected]
Hyson Heritage
PO Box 114, Bank Road,
Kozhikode 673001, India
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