Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

2271 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Kalarivathukkal Temple

Valapattanam, Kannur district, Kerala · 11.9246°, 75.3530°

BhadrakaliKolathiri (Chirakkal)Kerala, Rurujith Vidhanam with four sanctums
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Kolathiri (Chirakkal)

History & significance

A Bhadrakali shrine near the Valapattanam river associated with the Kolathiri rulers of Chirakkal and now a Category A temple of the Malabar Devaswom Board. The goddess is revered as the mother of Kalarippayattu, the martial art from which the temple takes its name.

Sthala katha — the legend

Tradition says Annapoornashwari sailed from Kashi to Chirakkal with Kalarivatukkalamma and Madayikkavilamma to see the Krishna temple, and never went back.

Open in Google Maps ↗Wikipedia ↗View on the atlas map

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kolathiri (Chirakkal)