Mannadi Bhadrakali Temple is located at Mannadi, a small serene village, 13 km away from Adoor, in Pathanamthitta district. It is believed that the Goddess Bhadrakali of this temple is very powerful and will grant wishes of all devotees without any hesitance. The temple is famous for the last mighty gallant of Travancore, the Velu Thampi Dalwa (Dalwa of Travancore) who committed suicide at the Mannadi temple, when he was surrounded by British troops to capture him alive for his Kundara Proclamation. The legends and myths associated with Mannadi Temple and Kambithan is portrayed vividly by Kottarathil Sankunni in his famous mythical bible, Aitihyamala.
In
ancient days the village of Mannadi was under the rule of a Brahmin feudal
lord known as Vakkuvanjippuzha Pandarathil. He had a private army for
the protection of his land and other properties. A person called Mangalathu Panicker
was the commander of this army. There was a dense forest near
Panicker’s house. Once, some of his laborers went to the forest to
clear a part for it for agricultural purposes. During their work a woman rubbed her sickle on a piece of stone for sharpening it. Suddenly
blood started coming out from that stone.
Scared by this, they ran to Mangalathu Panicker and narrated the incident and he went to Pandarathil and informed him. Being a Brahmin, Pandarathil knew
what had happened. He told Panicker that if blood is oozing out from the
stone, it must be a sacred idol and if nothing has been offered to
such idols it will disappear immediately. So he asked Panicker to rush
to the place and to keep some bananas and fried paddy there in front of
this stone and he promised that by that time he will have bath and come
there to offer it with certain rituals. Panicker did the same. It is believed that the blood-flow did stop after beating the sand with force on the stone. Hence the place got the name 'Mannu Aadi' and later came to be called as Mannadi.
As
Pandarathil was about to start the rituals, a tribal man came from
nowhere and shouted that Goddess does not prefer any rituals there. He told
the public who gathered there that no Brahmin should do any types of
rituals there and only keep the bananas and fried paddy in front of the
idol for some time and then they can take it back. Everybody was forced to believe this after witnessing some superhuman powers of the tribal man. They agreed to follow his orders and
Pandarathil constructed a temple with the help of Panicker. This temple
is the famous Mannadi Kavu or the Mannadi Devi Temple. Later, a person came to Mannadi and he became the oracle of the Goddess of the temple and was called as Kambithan.
Mannadi Devi, is the family goddess of the Pandalam Royalty. Raja
on his way to Sabarimala worships in this temple. The river
Kallada is flowing closely nearer to this sacred temple. The customs and
traditions in this temple are peculiar and unique to this temple.
The stone sculptures in this ancient temple are remarkable and quite marvelous. The annual festival is held in February/March. Kalabali, Pooppada, Kaliyoottu, Aaduvetti kurithi, Kalamezhuthum pattum, Navarathri kuruthi, Villu Pattum Kuruthi, and Ponnummudi Ezhunnellippu are the other important festivals of the temple. Remnants of an ancient temple from 16th century were being excavated at a nearby place called Mitrapuram. A 2.5ft Shivalinga, granite Sopanam steps, and laterite-type slabs were among the remains. Hence, we can assume that Mannadi and nearby places were the centers of ancient cultural and traditional gatherings and worship.
