Mondaicaud Amman Temple

Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Parvati (known as Bhagavathi). It is located near Colachel in the western coast of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. This is one among the most renowned and important Hindu temples in the district.

This temple on the sea shore is a sought after pilgrim centre for both people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Due to some unknown reasons people from Kollam district in Kerala frequent this temple and according to some versions this is due to the links to erstwhile Venadu, an ancient kingdom whose capital was Kollam. Venadu traces the links to imperial Cheras, from the three kingdoms of extreme south India Chera, Chola and Pandya. These are said to be three brothers from ancient Porkai, near Thiruchendoor. Travancore kings were from the Chera lineage as believed. Many temples in the region are traced to Chera and Pandya lineages, the former more.

The Kodai festival at Mondaicaudu is a major celebration in the region and as in Sabarimala people flock here, especially women. To accommodate the large populations special buses run between Nagercoil and nearby towns at the time, there are also chain services operated from Thiruvananthapuram. The idol here is unique and is earthy. The worship is also unique as it is not forbidden to cook and eat non-vegetarian foods, as in most other major Hindu temples, during the festival. One can see meat being cooked during the Ponkala days around the temple.

There is a folk history that Velu Thampi, a minister of Travancore, took over the temple from a local Nayar Tharavadu at Colachel, after a tussle, and the then Karanavar cursed him and killed himself, later Velu Thampi himself driven to the same fate after his fights with the British. The take over of Hindu temples by the state ensued during the British times in Travancore later.

The goddess of this temple is also linked with Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy text of Ayyavazhi. Though Bhagavathi is mentioned in Akilam, its view of the goddess is different from that of the other Hindu views.