Mridanga Saileswari Temple – Goddess Durga Of ‘Drum Hill’

One of the most powerful goddesses in the Hindu religion is Durga. She has numerous devotees all over the world who travel to Mridanga Saileswari temple, one of the most popular temples in the country. Above all, this temple is one of the 108 Durga temples that the creator of Kerala himself installed. The temple is the family temple of Veera Pazhassi Raja, the legendary king.

Of the 108 Durga temples created by Parasurama, the Mridanga Saileshwari temple is a prominent one. You can find the temple in the land of Theyya, and Thira, Kannur. The people celebrate the traditions and the cultures of Kerala to the fullest. Subsequently, this attracts thousands of devotees from all over the world. Mridanga Saileswari temple Kannur is an auspicious temple where people go to pray for their wishes to come true.

Mridanga Saileswari Temple Kannur History

There is a belief that Mridanga Saileswari showers her blessings to those who earnestly pray before her and light a lamp. Devotees worship her as the demolisher of evil, omnipotent and above all, as the one who grants all the wishes.

Mridanga is considered as the mother of all musical instruments, originating in heaven. In fact, there is a belief that the Devi herself originated from the Mridanga. Similarly, the reverberations in her voice gave rise to the hill that echoes, Muzhakkannu. Mridanga Sailasam stands for drum hill where history narrates that the goddess herself appeared. There is a belief that Parasurama captured the essence of the Devi in an idol after which he built the Mridanga Saileswari temple.

Kathakali

The world-famous dance form Kathakali originated at this temple. The king of Kottayam, Thampuran was responsible for it. This was because the king got influenced by Ramanattam of Kottarakkara Thampuran.

The history behind the origin of Kathakali is connected to Mridanga Saileswari as well. The myth suggests that when King Thampuran was unable to visualize a woman in Kathakali, he meditated for a while. Subsequently, the goddess herself appeared at the temple pond. The form in which she appears is the same appearance used in Kathakali even today.

The descendants of the same clan ardently worship the Goddess even today. Since then, the temple has gained prominence all over the world.

Mridanga Saileswari temple story

Apart from the history, there is a fascinating story about the temple. For a long period of time, the temple was in ruins. Eventually, it gained prominence due to the story narrated by Alexander Jacob, a retired police officer. According to the story, thieves attempted to steal the temple idol 3 times but failed each time. Each time they failed, it was due to a different reason. Apparently each time the thieves stole the idol, they returned it due to strange paranormal activity.

Once word got out, the temple became famous nationwide and the restoration of the temple started. Above all, it attracted the attention of devotees from all over the country who thronged the temple every day.

Deities at the temple

Mridanga Saileswari is the main deity of this temple. She is a four-armed goddess Durga who holds a conch and discus in the hands that point upwards. She blesses her devotees with the front right hand while her front left-hand remains on her waist. You can also notice the same from the Mridanga Saileswari temple images. Mizhavil Bhagavati is another name of this deity. There is a separate sanctum where the public is not allowed.

Mridanga Saileswari Temple Darshan Timings

Firstly, the temple’s morning hours are from 5:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The evening hours are from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

There are also distinct poojas performed at various timings throughout the day. There is a Usha pooja which is at 7:00 AM in the morning. The Uchha pooja is at 11:00 AM. Finally, the Atthaza pooja that is the evening prayer is at 7:15 PM. Besides this, there is Deepardhana performed at the time of the sunset.

How to reach the temple

There are numerous ways by which you can reach the Mridanga Saileswari temple. This temple is located in Muzhakannu Panchayat, Kannur district of Kerala.

By Air
The nearest airport is Kozhikode that is around 138 km away. But, there is an upcoming international airport in Kannur which is 13 km away from the temple.

By Road
The temple is 55km away from Thaliparambu and 42km from Thalassery if you’re traveling by road.

By Rail
Finally, if it is a train you want to commute in, the nearest railway station is Thalassery that is about 45 km away from the temple.