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Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala · 8.6540°, 76.7860°
A Bhadrakali temple in Chirayinkeezhu that became one of South India's best-known goddess shrines after Marthanda Varma instituted its Kaliyoot festival in 1748. The nine-day Kaliyoot enacts the birth of Bhadrakali and her fight with the demon Darika, and the Ponnara family still oversees the festival.
Marthanda Varma is said to have vowed the Kaliyoot to the goddess if she granted him victory over Kayamkulam, and to have kept the promise after winning the war.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Undetermined