Muchilot Bhagavathi

Muchilot Bhagavathi is the tutelary deity of Vaniya Nair/Vaniyan[1] community of North Malabar.

Muchilot Bhagavathi

Legends

Most scholars are of the unanimous opinion that she was a Brahmin virgin born in '"Rayaramangalath Mana'" in the village of Peringellur, near Taliparamba.[2] Those were the days after the betrothal of the virgin renowned for her unfathomable Vedic knowledge. It so happened that "Peringellur Mootha Gurukkal" (a Brahmin) and his disciples challenged the "Naduvazhi", on the request of the "Naduvazhi" the Brahmin virgin took part in the "Naduvazhi". The mesmerizing arguments and counter arguments darted by the virgin against "Mootha Gurukal" and his disciples stunned them and so they were envious of her. Being very shrewd and deceptive, they meditated to trap her somehow.

So they asked her two questions: "Which is the most excruciating pain?" "What is the most ecstatic pleasure?". To which she innocently answered, "Pain of a mother in labour is the most excruciating pain; and the pleasure of love-making is the most ecstatic pleasure".[3] They distorted her answers stating that woman having no such mundane experiences could never answer those questions and so she was not virgin. The issue ended up in her excommunication. The innocent and fragile virgin being struck by the arrows of deception from the Brahmins took asylum at the scared feet of "Payyanur Perumal", "Karivellurappan" and "Rayaramangalath Bhagavathi", with a heart full of woes. She adored them and offered all the despairs and throes of her heart before their divine presence and resolved to immolate herself.

As she was preparing her pyre, a "Muchilot Padanayar"[4] happened to reach there. On her request, he poured oil from a pot into the fire with much reluctance.[5] Thus she immolated herself and her soul departed to Lord Shiva. With a fraternal love, Lord Shiva sent her back to the earth with some boons, a golden fan, jewelry and various weapons to redeem the world. The Padanayar having seen the immolation of the virgin was full of grief and kept "Thuthika"(the empty pot) in the "Padinjattakam"(Pooja room), Padanayar's wife had an apparition vision of Sree Muchilot Bhagavathi, as she was drawing water from the well. Meanwhile "Thuthika"(the empty pot) kept in the "Padinjattakam"(Pooja room) started tossing in the air. In an astrological speculation the Karnavar had an apocalypse that the soul of the virgin had been sent back by Lord Shiva to abide in him. The goddess whom the Padanayar places in a silver tabernacle in the "Padinjattakam", to worship began to be known as Sree Muchilot Bhagavathi.[6]

Some of her devotees believe that the goddess bloomed from the sweat of Lord Shiva shed at the time of his stupendous dance on the Mount Kailasa. Whereas some others believe her to be a deity incarnated on the earth with a "prasadam" to purgate the world of all kinds of incurable diseases, or a goddess sent to earth in the form of flame to annihilate all the evils on the earth.

References
  1. "Dutch in Kerala - Glimpses of World History through Kerala and Dutch". dutchinkerala.com.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. History of Muchilotu Bhagavathi http://www.thekeralatemples.com/templeinfo/bhagavathy/karivellur_muchilottukavu.htm
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Muchilottu Bhagavathi - ॐ-Narath Shree Muchilottu Bhagavathi Kshethram-ॐ". sites.google.com.

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