Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bhagavathi temples in Kerala located in Thrissur City. Sakthan Thampuran ordained the temples into two groups, namely “Paramekkavu side” and “Thiruvambady side” for Thrissur Pooram which is the biggest festival in South India and Kerala. The main deity of this temple is Devi Vaishnavy, an incarnation of Goddess Durga, who believed to have come here along with Kuruppal (head of an aristocratic Nair family) from Thirumadhamkunnu, on his umbrella.
The temple complex has two shrines dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathi, Paramekkavu and Melekkavu. The following is the legend associated with the Melekkavu shrine. During ancient times, there was a practice of offering guruthi (blood) to the goddess by people of the Kizhakkumpattukar which was a nearby village. Animals and birds are killed and their blood was offered to the deity as part of this ritual. When the slaughter of animals was prohibited by the law, this system of offering guruthi was discontinued. The temple committee meeting held in 1960, recommended the revival of this ritual by performing it on the festival days of Kodungallur Bhagavathy temple. Later, an idol of the Goddess was retrieved from the temple tank and was consecrated at the place where guruthi ritual was performed. A separate shrine was also built there in the year 1997.The idol of Goddess Paramekkavu Bhagavathy was initially a wooden idol. Since the wooden idol was found to be damaged, a new wooden idol was made replacing the old one. The new idol of this Goddess has eight arms and is seen in the sitting posture.
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Devi kshetras in Kerala. The temple also has the honour of participating in famous Thrissur Pooram festival. During this festival, fifteen decorated elephants are brought in procession from Paramekkavu to the Vadakkumnathan temple, where the Pooram festival is celebrated. A large number of tourists throng this place to witness this splendid event annually. Navarathri, Makara Chowa, Sivarathri are the other important festivals.
Devotees from various parts of Kerala and beyond visit the Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple to seek blessings and witness the grandeur of the Thrissur Pooram festival.
