Visit to Chottanikkara Temple

Witness the ever-changing avatars of India's supreme goddesses

Most temples in India are dedicated to a single god, with numerous shrines around to include more of the pantheon – yet, the Chottanikara temple is unusual, as a single deity takes on three forms through morning, noon and night. Distinct in architecture, which celebrates the region’s penchant for wooden, intricately carved structures, the Chottanikkara temple houses Shakti Devi or Bhagwathi, a female divinity associated with power and motherhood. Through the day, she assumes the different avatars: by morning, she is Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and is decked in white, by noon, she is Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and is draped in crimson, by evening, she is Durga, a goddess of power dressed in blue. Interestingly, people suffering from mental illnesses visit the temple – which is also busy around any festivals associated with these deities. A visit to the temple offers an intimate look into the esoterism of India’s supreme goddesses.

Images Credits: RoninMax, CC-BY-2.0