Ayitti Bhagavathy

ആയിറ്റി ഭഗവതി

According to the traditional legend, Ayitti Bhagavathy and Uchoolikadavath Bhagavathy were two goddesses who set out from Aryanadu to Malana… Learn the full story, rituals, and temples on Theyyakkalam.

Communities: Vannan

Deity type: Goddess

Origin & Sacred Story

According to the traditional legend, Ayitti Bhagavathy and Uchoolikadavath Bhagavathy were two goddesses who set out from Aryanadu to Malanadu in separate ships. During their journey, the ship carrying Uchoolikadavath Bhagavathy encountered danger. Seeing this, Ayitti Bhagavathy welcomed her aboard her own vessel and rescued her. From that moment onward, the two goddesses became inseparable companions.

Another tradition, however, maintains that Ayitti Bhagavathy and Uchoolikadavath Bhagavathy are not two separate deities but different names of the same goddess. According to this view, "Uchoolikadavath Bhagavathy" is simply another name by which Ayitti Bhagavathy is worshipped in different regions.

A second local tradition explains the origin of the name Ayitti Bhagavathy. It is said that when the goddess arrived by sea, she reached Edathuramazhi, where she encountered a devotee named Nellikathiyan. Pleased by his devotion and service, the goddess accompanied him and eventually established herself at Ayitti Kavu. Because she took residence there, she came to be known as Ayitti Bhagavathy.

Cultural Significance

Ayitti Bhagavathy is revered as the Kuladevata (clan deity) of the Mukhaya (Moovari) community.

According to tradition: The ancient ancestral house of the Mukhaya community is Kuravantheri Valiya Tharavadu in Kannur. Every year, beginning on the 15th day of the Malayalam month of Kumbham, a four-day festival is celebrated there, bringing together members of the Mukhaya community. The Kadankod Punnakkal Bhagavathy Thanam, near Cheruvathur, is regarded as the principal shrine of the eleven Mukhaya Thanams.

Traditional lore also says that the Mukhaya community possesses "Pathu Kore Nannooru Theyyams" (390 Theyyams), a symbolic expression signifying their rich ritual heritage.

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