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

Kottankulangara Devi Temple

Chavara, Kollam district, Kerala · 8.9796°, 76.5351°

Durga Bhagavathy (Aadi Shakthi)Undetermined
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
dating unrecorded
Undetermined

History & significance

A goddess temple at Chavara in Kollam district best known for Chamayavilakku, an annual festival in which men from across Kerala dress in women's attire and carry traditional lamps in procession to the shrine.

Sthala katha — the legend

Cowherds are said to have struck a coconut against a stone near the Bhoothakulam pond and seen blood drip from it; an astrologer told them to build a temple, and because the herders had made their first offerings in women's clothing the custom endured.

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

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined