Tirtha Atlas

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

2271 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
Early modern · Hindu · India

Manakkattu Bhadra Temple

Chirakkadavu, near Ponkunnam, Kottayam district, Kerala · 9.5471°, 76.7666°

Bhadrakali, worshipped as ManakkattuammaUndeterminedKerala
Sacred since
1800 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
early 19th c.
Undetermined

History & significance

An early nineteenth-century Bhadrakali shrine near Ponkunnam, run by a committee of the Vellala Mahasabha, known for its daily Guruthi pooja and the Panthirukulam guruthi held once every twelve years. It is a well-used stop for Sabarimala pilgrims, who are given free meals there.

Sthala katha — the legend

The temple is said to have been founded on the instruction of the head of the Manakkattu Mana, who prescribed a Bhadrakali shrine to appease a yakshi released by a saint whose spirit was spreading disease.

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Sources

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