Chettikulangara Devi Temple

One of the renowned Devi temples in Kerala, this temple is famous for the Bharani festival. Celebrated in February/­March. The highlights of this festival are Kuthiyottam and Kettukazhcha, Of these, the former is performed as an offering to the Goddess. The man who makes the offering teaches an adolescent boy religious rites for seven days from Sivarathri day (in February) to Bharalli asterism, during which period the boy observes fast. On Bharani morning, the boy with his body coiled with silver wires is taken in a procession to the temple. Later in the afternoon, devotees place huge decorated effigies of chariots, horses, epic figures such as Bhima, Panchali and Hanuman, in the paddy field lying east of the temple. During the night, the image of Devi is carried in a procession to the effigies stationed in the paddy field. This is Kettukazhcha. These effigies are later taken to their respective kavus (place of worship of different families