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Chirakkadavu, near Ponkunnam, Kottayam district, Kerala · 9.5471°, 76.7666°
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.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
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.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…