Mullackal chirappu

                                                        Mullackal chirappu

Mullackal Sri Rajarajeswari temple is main temple at Alappuzha around which the town is built. The main diety of this temple is the Mullackal Devi. The main Mullackal chirappu is on the Malayalam month of vrishchikam (November-December).  The chirappu is a 41 day festival out of which last 12 days are the most important. Festivities take place here in all the evenings all through this month. Kalabham Charth (application of perfumed sandalwood powder) on the idol occurs at the temple during these days. An individual or an organisation usually sponsors each day of the chirappu. 

The mullackal streets are usually filled with a stream of people during the chirappu evenings. Many small stalls pop up along the sides of the street selling toys, bangles etc.

Fireworks light up the town’s skies at night. Crowds gather at the town center to see the spectacular fireworks display. On some nights, the fireworks are followed by many cultural programmes like music, dance etc. Many renowned Malayalam singers have sung here during this time.The Mullakkal temple is dedicated to the Goddess Rajarajeswari. The nine day Navratri festival celebrated is of special significance.

This temple is estimated to be 500 years old and there are different stories regarding its origin. One says that the idol consecrated here was brought by the banished soldiers of the Thekkumkur king. They were supposed to have brought this idol and kept it in a jasmine Garden. The idol got permanently fixed at that spot and later a temple was constructed by the king Devanarayana of Chembagasery. Another story says that once that great king went to the Kodungallore Bhagawathy temple for worship and wanted to have the Bhagawathy in his town. That night, the goddess appeared in his dreams and told him that she would accompany him to his kingdom. When he reached Alappuzha, the king kept his Umbrella in the jasmine garden before taking rest. The umbrella got fixed there. Later, the astrologers who were brought in, found that the Goddess wished to stay there and hence the king built a temple for her at that spot. Another story tells about how during the invasion of Kerala by Tippu Sultan, some Namboodiri Brahmins who ran away from Malabar along with the idol of Annapurneswari they were worshiping decided to consecrate the idol at this spot.

The idol worshipped prior to 1961 in this temple was indeed that of Annapurneswari with a ladle in one hand and a pot in the other. Since the temple was built in a jasmine garden, she was known also as Mullakkal Bhagawthy. She was consecrated in the standing pose facing west.

In 1961 when they were consecrating the golden flag staff for the Goddess, a mentally unstable person got inside the sanctum sanctorum and embraced the idol. Subsequently it was found that cracks had developed on the idol. A deva prasnam (getting divine opinion through astrology) which was conducted revealed that the Goddess wanted a new idol to be made and installed there. Therefore on 16th July 1962 a four feet tall Rajarajeswari idol was consecrated in the same place replacing the damaged one. Apart from the main Goddess there are also small temples for Hanuman, Subramanya and Nagas (serpents) in the temple. An idol of Lord Krishna and Lord Ayyappa has also been consecrated.