CHERTHALA KARTHIYANI TEMPLE

This shrine is located at Cherthala, north of Alappuzha town. The presiding deity is Karthiyayani. Vishnu, Shiva, Ganapathy, Kavudayan, Nagaraja and Yakshi installed as sub-deities.

Villwamangalam Swamiyar once saw seven virgin ladies. Six of them vanished and the seventh one ran on seeing the Swqamiyar who was a great vedic exponent. Swamiyar followed her when she jumped into six ponds one after one on the way. Swamiyar was still in pursuit of her. While she was attempting to jump to the seventh pond he caught hold of her hair and pulled back and commanded in a vociferous voice to sit uttering ‘Iri Puliyadi’ (slang in Malayalam). It is she who the deity here. This is legend.

The festival is in the month of Meenam (March/April). There is a peculiar tradition of devotees carrying toddy pots and singing slang songs to appease the deity. The singing of slang songs is in approval of the uttering of Iri Puliyadi slang words by the deity’s captivator Villwamangalam during the capture process.

The six ponds to which six virgins jumped are Kalikulam, Pallikulam, Cherakulam, Pullamkulam, Kelankulam and Thrippurakulam. The seventh attempted pond is Karappankulam. All these ponds are considered auspicious.