Four Things You Must Know About The Bhagavathi Amman Temple

Kanyakumari is a beautiful district famed for its temples, beaches, and natural landscapes. But the Bhagavathi Amman Temple Kanyakumari is one of its most popular attractions, dedicated to Devi Kanyakumari, or Virgin Goddess. Legend has it that when the tsunami wreaked havoc on the district in 2003, the temple was one of the few places that escaped destruction. Here are a few things you must know about Bhagavathi Amman Temple:

Legend About The Devi Kanyakumari

The temple’s presiding deity, Devi Kanyakumari, is believed to be one of the forms of Mother Shakti. In fact, the temple is one of the 51 Shakti peethas, i.e., the places where the corpse of Sati fell on the ground. Legend has it that Sati’s body’s right shoulder and spine fell in Kanyakumari, thereby creating the Kundalini Shakti in the area.

Goddess Parvathi is believed to have taken the form of a small girl in Kanyakumari to kill Banasura, the demon with a boon that only a virgin girl could kill him. Banasura was a demon torturing the devas and saints, wreaking havoc on Earth. As the small girl grew up, she fell in love with Lord Shiva and stood penance seeking his consent.

Lord Shiva, too agreed to marry her. But on the wedding day, as Lord Shiva was on his way from Suchindram, Narada assumed the form of a rooster and crowed. Upon hearing the rooster, Shiva thought he had missed the auspicious hour and returned back. Narada did this to avoid Lord Shiva marrying Kanyakumari because nobody could kill Banasura if this happened.

Kanyakumari was naturally upset and scattered everything around. Banasura heard of this and decided to marry Kanyakumari, who refused his advances. When Banasura decided to use force, she slayed the demon’s head after a fierce battle.

Legend About The Bhagavathi Amman Temple, Kanyakumari

It is believed that Lord Parasurama installed the main idol. The original sanctum is probably 3000 years old but was rebuilt by the Pandyas, Cholas, Nayaks, and even the Travancore Kings over the years.

The Kanyakumari Amman Nose Ring Story

If you have researched the Bhagavathi Amman Temple, you may have also heard about the Kanyakumari Amman nose ring story. The nose ring is believed to be a nagmani, i.e., a magical stone found on a cobra’s hood. The diamond ring is so dazzling that a merchant ship once crashed on a rock, believing the sparkle from the ring to be that of a lighthouse beacon. The eastern door is permanently closed to prevent this and only opened on special occasions like Chitra Pournami.

Visiting The Temple

The best time to visit the temple would be during the Brahma Muhurta, i.e., from 4.30 am to 5.30 am, but any time of the day would be equally good. Head straight to the beach to experience the sunrise after the Brahma Muhurta darshan. Also, there are many accommodations near bhavathy temple Kanyakumari. While the Kanyakumari Amman temple dress code is Indian – i.e., women must stick to saree and salwar, and men must not wear their shirts within the temple premises. Also, you must dress modestly.

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