Panayannar kavu Bhadrakali temple is located on the banks of Pamba river near Mannar in Alappuzha district. The temple is at a distance of 1 km from Parumala Junction in the Mavelikkara - Thiruvalla Road. Although this temple is one among the 108 Shiva temples, Goddess Bhadrakali is given prime importance and is in a fierce disposition, worshiped ardently by devotees as Panayannarkkavilamma. Panayannarkavu is one of the few temples in Kerala where the Saptha Mathas, or the Seven Mother Goddesses are worshipped as the presiding power. Chamundi, the fiercest of them all, gets the predominant place.
A king from Chiravayil Kovilakam (Shrayikkur) went to Panayoorkavu for worshipping Bhadrakali, and as he made his worship with utmost devotion, Bhadrakali gave a chance for the king to see her. He requested Bhadrakali to come to his land for the prosperity of the land and Bhadrakali accepted the request and blessed him saying that she will come soon to the Shiva Temple in King's land. King did all the rituals and on the day of completion, people witnessed a ball of fire coming from the northern direction to the temple. The king with the help of Tantri consecrated Bhadrakali on the southern side of Shiva temple (Thidapally) facing east. But fierceness of the deity surpassed all limits as she was installed in the disposition that she is going to kill demon Darika. Hence, king reinstalled the deity facing north and now in the form which she had killed Darika and was in a much more relaxed stage although still the fierce disposition of Bhadrakali did not vanish. As the daily rituals were conducted in a very secret and strict way, the power of devi increased day by day.
In order to reduce the power of Bhadrakali and her assistants (bootha ganangal), the King had started a 41 day long slaughtering of elephants, goat, hen and for the last 12 days virgin women were also slaughtered. All these offerings continued for years and after some decades, on the day of a Nara bali ( slaughter of virgin women), the girl who was going to be killed smiled when she saw the sword and suddenly the oracle (velichappadu) told that she should not be killed and from that day onwards the Eastern door of the sanctum (central sanctum) should be closed forever. After that incident they have never opened that sanctum door, and now no rituals are performed for the goddess in the central sanctum.
In order to reduce the power of the Bhadrakali of the main central sanctum, a Srichakra idol (Meru Srichakra) was also installed and now all the rituals are performed on the Srichakra. The king had given the ownership of the temple to the girl who was saved by the Bhadrakali, and now her family is called as Aadissans; who are the present owners of the temple. Their family bulding is near to the temple and there is also another place called the moolasthanam (the original place where goddess was firstt welcomed), where the karanavar (most aged man of the family) daily perform a secret ritual to the goddess in Kaula saktheya samprdaya with alcohol and meat. Meanwhile inside the temple rituals were performed by Vasishta Brahmins called as Adikal.
Panayannar kavu was once inhabited by a Yakshi called Parumala Yakshi (seductress demon) who was bound by the legendary Kadamattathachan (a friar of Kadamattam Church near Muvattupuzha). Near the temple, there is a consecration spot of Parumala Yakshi, where she sits on raised platform in an orchard with several trees. Apart from an idol, a one foot tall bronze sculpture of the form of a hand held mirror is seen at that place.
Although the name Panayannar kavu instills fear and awe in the faithful, it is one of the rare places which treasures a multitude of fascinating murals in Kerala. As one walks into the temple and beholds the paintings around the shrines, the initial fear vanishes and a rare calm settles in. Familiar stories from the Puranas, in gentle and pleasant tones adorn the walls.
The most fascinating among the murals around the main shrine are those depicting the encounter between Durga and Mahisha, the bison-headed demon, Shiva's ferocious Aghora form, Kirata-Arjuniyam where Shiva as hunter humbling Arjuna's pride before presenting him with his divine arrow, the Pasupatastra, the goddess Tripurasundari in a rare form with ten arms and five heads, seated on a lotus, Ardhanariswara, Nataraja (the Cosmic Dance of Shiva), Vigneshwara Pooja, Sooryanarayana, Sastha as a hunter, the end of demonic king Hiranyakashipu in the clutches of Narasimha, and Parvati devi on horse-back, riding side-saddle. There are also pictures of Krishna-leela (plays of Krishna), Subrahmanya, Bhadrakali, Annapoorna, Yogavishnu, Venugopala, Yakshi and the Draupadi Swayamvaram (Draupadi's marriage).
On the southern wall, The Sapta Matas are also portrayed bewitchingly where each of them can be identified easily, each represented as seated on their special celestial vehicles. Brahmi flies on a swan, Maheshwari rides a bull, Kaumari on a peacock, while Vaishnavi rides Garuda. Boar-headed Varahi has a lion and Indrani sits majestically atop an elephant while Chamundi has her own strange vehicle, the Vetala.
On the eastern wall are a few frescoes depicting dramatic moments from the Ramayana. These are doubtless the best murals in the temple. The battle between Rama and Ravana, the fall of the great king of Lanka, his queen lament over his death, the reunion of Rama and Sita, and lastly, Rama's coronation as the king of Ayodhya are the group of the Ramayana murals. Though there are innumerable frescoes portraying these subjects in various temples and palaces in Kerala, nowhere else is it so brilliantly and beautifully done. Other different paintings include pictures of Mahavishnu seated with his two consorts Lakshmi and Bhumidevi in Vaikunta, Vishnu as Ananthasayi, Apsaras playing with a ball, Daskhinamurthy or the Lord of Knowledge and Kalasamharamoorthy or the destroyer of Yama.
To scribble on some miracles associated with this temple, some decades back, an elephant at Ambalapuzha Srikrishna temple was died within the temple compound and as it can not be buried there, the authorities came to Panayannar kavu and requested the velichapadu (oracle) to do some thing. He went there and walked the elephant outside the temple complex and as soon as the elephant crossed the temple compound, it again fell dead. Witnessing this, the King of ambalapuzha gave some acres of land to panayannar kavu temple which is still in the possession of the temple. The British ruler of the state Sir Munroe, tried to check the gold ornaments of Bhadrakali and become senseless and remained unconscious for some days and as a remedy he did donate some gold to the temple which is also there in the temple.
THE SAPTHA MAATHAS
Brahmi : (Bija Mantra is "Aam") She is the creative force of Lord Brahma (Brahma is the Lord of Creation), with shining golden body. She symbolizes creativeness in all forms of knowledge. She has four hands, holding Kuntham (spear), Akshaya Paathram (Alms Vessel), Japa Maala (Rosary), and ladle (used for pouring oil into Yagna Gunda). Her vehicle is swan and her flag carries that bird symbol. She displays Varadha and Abhaya Mudras.
Maheshwari: (Bija Mantra is "Iim") She is the activating force of Lord Shiva (Lord Shiva also called as Maheswhara is the Lord of Destruction or Dissolution), with shining white color body. She has three eyes and four hands, holding Trishul (Trident) and Udukku (Drum creating Brahma Thaala). Her vehicle is Bull and it is also symbolized in her flag.
Koumaari: (Bija Mantra is "Hoom") She is the activating force of Lord Muruga (Subramania or Kaarthikeya). She has 4 hands displaying Varadha Mudra and Abhaya Mudra, and holds Vel as weapon. Her vehicle is peacock, which is also symbolized in her flag.
Vaishnavi: (Bija Mantra is "Room") She is the activating force of Lord Vishnu (Lord Vishnu is the Lord of Maintenance) with four hands displaying Varadha and Abhaya Mudras and holding Shanku and Chakra (Conch & Wheel). Her vehicle is Garuda, the divine Eagle, which is also symbolized in her flag.
Varaahi: (Bija Mantra is "Loom") She is the activating force of Lord Yama (The Lord of death), who has four hands displaying Varadha and Abhaya Mudras and holding Dhandu(Cane), Sword, Gada(Club), Shankhu (Conch), Kalappa/hala (Plough), Chakra (Wheel), Bhumi (Earth), and Lotus flower. Her vehicle is Buffalo/Lion.
Indraani: (Bija Mantra is "Aim") She is the activating force of Lord Indra. She displays Varadha and Abhaya Mudras and holds Vajra (weapon made of bone). Her vehicle is Elephant.
Chaamundi: (Bija Mantra is "Houm") She has one of her foot pressed on the demon (representing the demonic nature/characteristics of human) and displays Varadha and Abhaya Mudras. Clothed in the hide of a tiger, She has eight shoulders and carries Shoolam (Trident), Kadkam, Ambu(Arrow) and Chakra (Wheel) on one side and Paasam (Noose), Palaka (plate), Sarngam (Villu), and Shanku (Conch) on the other side.
