Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple


Mandaikadu Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple. Amman Bhagavathi is there. 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 is near the sea shore is a sought after pilgrim centre for both people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Kodai festival at Mondaicaudu is a major celebration in the region and this temple is called as women sabarimala. 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.
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.