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Lokanarkavu Temple – Vatakara, Kerala :

An old Hindu temple called Lokanarkavu Temple can be found in Memunda, a district in Kerala’s North Malabar area, 4 kilometres from Vatakara. An abbreviation for Lokamalayarkavu is Lokanarkavu, which means lokam (world) made of mala (mountain), aaru (river) and kavu (grove).Goddess Durga is the primary goddess at the Lokanarkavu temple. Two shrines honouring Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are close by.

Lokanarkavu Temple History:

Three main deities are housed in distinct temples within the Lokanarkavu temple complex, which makes them quite unusual. Each of the three temples houses a major deity and features a separate inner and outer sanctuary as well as rituals, festivals, and other events. The gods are arranged in chronological order of their ages as follows: Vishnu, Parasakthi, and Siva. The Bhagawathi temple dates back between 1300 and 1500 years, while the Vishnu temple in its current shape could be 2000 years old. Siva Temple is comparatively more recent, dating from about 400 years ago.

The Puduppanam Vazhunnavar (Puduppanam village chief), with the approval of the Nagariks and Kadathanad Raja, had initiated the erection of the Siva temple some 300–400 years ago, in the space between the Vishnu and Bhagavathy temples. The Shivalinga kept in the temple was taken from a demolished Siva temple somewhere else.The Bhagawathi, also known as Lokambika, is one of four ambikas; the other three are the renowned Kollur Mookambika, the renowned Hemambika near Palakkad, and the renowned Hemambika once more in Kanyakumari. Additionally, rumours claim that Chottanikkara and Kodungallur Bhagawati are Lokambikas. At Lokanarkavu, Bhagavathi is revered in three different guises: in the morning as Saraswathi, the Vidya Devatha; in the midday as Lakshmi Devi, the devatha of wealth; and in the evening as Bhadrakali, the destroyer and daughter of Shiva.

Lokanarkavu Temple Timings:

The opening and closing timings of Lokanarkavu Temple is 4 am to 9 am in the morning and 5 pm to 7 pm.

Festivals Celebrated at Lokanarkavu Temple Kerala:

Here, Pooram is a major event that is celebrated with a lot of fanfare. The event lasts for one week and starts with Kodiyettam (flag hoisting) and ends with Arattu. The temple honouring the goddess Durga is particularly significant historically since Thacholi Othenan, a renowned Keralan warrior hero, used to come here daily to worship.

The Lokanarkavu Bhagavathy Temple hosts two annual festivals: the 30-day Mandala Utsavam in the Malayalam month Vrischikam (November–December) and the pooram in the Malayalam month meenam (March–April). The only temple where a strange folk dance known as Poorakkali is performed during holidays is this one. The dance has elements of the Kalaripayattu fighting style. Due to the connection between Lokanarkavu Temple and the fabled hero Thacholi Othenan, all Kalaripayattu artists still ask the god’s blessings before making their public debut.

Lokanarkavu Temple Official Website – https://lokanarkavutemple.org/

Lokanarkavu Temple Online Booking:

Devotees can book pooja tickets online through official website – https://lokanarkavutemple.org/booking/

Lokanarkavu Temple Address:

Sree Lokanarkavu temple, Post Sidhasamaj, 673104, Vadakara, Kozhikode.

How to reach Lokanarkavu Temple Kerala:

By Air: Lokanarkavu Temple may be reached through Karipur International Airport (also known as Calicut International Airport), which is situated in Kerala’s Malappuram district. Memunda is about 87 kilometres from the airport.

By Train: The closest train station to Lokanarkavu Bhagavathi Temple is Vadakara Railway Station, also spelt Badagara Railway Station and run by Southern Railways. The main trains that pass through Vadakara Railway Station, which is located on the Kozhikode-Mangalore railway line, include the Ernakulam Express, Kannur Express, Parasuram Express, Mangalore Mail, Malabar Express, Chennai Mail, Maveli Express, West Coast Express, and Malabar Express.

By Road: About 6 kilometres from Vadakara is Memunda, where Lokanarkavu Temple is located. Vadakara is a town along National Highway 17 and is located around 48 km north of Kozhikode. Frequent bus services to Memunda are run by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and many private bus proprietors.