The Dakshina Mookambika Temple is a well-known Mookambika temple in the town of North Paravur, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. Here the main offering is Vidhyamantra and it is for the educational upliftment of children. Here a concotion is given in the temple and children will regularly have it because it is believed that it increases memory.
History
Thampuran of Paravur was a great devotee of Goddess Mookambika. Every year, he used to visit the Kollur temple in Mangalore to pay homage to the goddess. With advancing age, his health deteriorated and he could no longer undertake the long journey to Kollur. She appeared in the dream of the dejected devotee and instructed him to build her idol at a distance from his place, where he could view her every day. Thampuran obeyed and built a temple at Paravur, which became the Dakshina Mookambika Temple.
Festivals
It is the famous festival of Navaratri that is celebrated here with many fanfares. The Navaratri music festival is another feature that draws thousands of people to the temple. On Durgashtami, books are arranged before the image of Goddess Saraswathy and on Vijayadashami morning, Ezhuthinirithu or Vidyāraṃbhaṃ ceremony takes place at a special mandapam which goes from 4 am to 11 am. Thousands of little children are initiated into the world of letters by making them write the word ‘harisree’ on rice, their tongues or sand with a golden ring. Apart from the Navratri festival, the “ten-day annual festival” is celebrated in the month of Makaram (January–February). The music festival and Vidyaraṃbhaṃ ceremony are the main features of this festival.
MAP – Location Link
Mantra
‘സരസ്വതീ നമസ്തുഭ്യം
വരദേ കാമരൂപിണീ
വിദ്യാരംഭം കരിഷ്യാമി
സിദ്ധിർ ഭവതു മേ സദാ’
