Madayi Kavu

Madayi Kavu, formally the Thiruvarkadu Bhagavathi Temple, is at Madayi near Pazhayangadi in Kannur district and is dedicated to Bhadrakali in her fierce form. Formerly a shrine of the Chirakkal royal family, it is now run by the Malabar Devaswom Board. The goddess is seen as a Brahmin mother who keeps within, so her sanctum lies inside and the one facing the entrance belongs to Shiva; that is why the temple bears his name, Thiruvarkadu, 'the forest of the Lord'.

The Shiva shrine faces east and the Bhadrakali shrine west. Pidarar Brahmins of the Koula tradition conduct the rites, and the Kozhi Kalasham, an offering of poultry to the goddess, is held in high esteem. Pooram in March is the main festival, with others in Thulam, Vrishchikam and Makaram and the Perumkaliyattam in Idavam. The temple is 1.3 kilometres north of Pazhayangadi town. Traditional dress is expected: jeans are barred, and men may not enter the inner shrine in shirts or lungis.