Category: Kannur

Sree Mridanga Saileswari Temple is a small but serene Devi temple dedicated to goddess Kali deep in the backwoods of Kannur, the land of the Theyyam & Thira. Believed to have been installed by Lord Parashurama, the temple at Muzhakkunnu, Kannur is one of the most famous Devi temples in Kerala. It was the family deity of the brave king Veera Pazhassi Raja also known as Kottayathu Thampuran. Being surrounded with trees, the Sree Mridanga Saileswari Temple almost can be mistaken for a forest temple. It was the place of worship of the local ethnic clans, and later the local kings built a temple there along with their palace just behind the temple. The palace was believed to be destroyed by Britishers after winning the war against Pazhassi Raja. The temple fell into ruins and was unheard of until recently. The temple gained prominence after a retired police commissioner of Kerala revealed in a TV interview of the three occasions thieves tried to steal the idol from the Sreekovil. All three times, they failed to do the theft due to some strange reasons. Every time the idol was taken, it was returned to the temple by the thieves themselves because of unusual paranormal activities. Today the temple has become famous, and thousands of devotees from various South Indian states are visiting this temple. It is said that the world-famous dance form of Kerala, Kathakali originated at the Mridanga Saileswari Temple. The king of Kottayam, Thampuran, got influenced by Ramanattam of Kottarakkara Thampuran and wrote Kathakali Padam on it. The history behind the origin of Kathakali is closely connected to Mridanga Saileswari Devi. It is believed the Kottayam King Thampuran was not able to visualise the lady form for enacting the Kathakali dance. It is said, the goddess herself appeared before