Dakshina Mookambika Temple, North Paravur

The Dakshina Mookambika Temple in North Paravur, Ernakulam district, is dedicated to the goddess Mookambika, and its sanctum stands in the middle of a lotus pool. Legend says a ruler of Paravur used to travel every year to the Mookambika temple at Kollur; when age and illness stopped him, the goddess told him in a dream to install her near his palace so he could see her daily, and he built this temple.

Sub-shrines honour Ganapathy, Kartikeya, Mahavishnu, Hanuman, Veerabhadran and a Yakshi, whose shrine is in the south-west corner. Navaratri is the high point of the year, with a music festival attended by thousands. Books are placed before Saraswathy on Durgashtami, and on Vijayadashami morning large numbers of small children are initiated into writing in the Vidyarambham ceremony, tracing harisree in rice or sand. A ten-day festival is also held in Makaram, in January or February.