Chottanikkara Temple

The Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy, located in the village of Chottanikkara within the Ernakulam District of Kerala, India. Managed by the Cochin Devaswom Board, it is one of the most significant shrines among the 409 temples under the board's administration. The temple's central deity is the Divine Mother, worshipped as Rajarajeswari (Adiparashakthi) in three distinct forms throughout the day: Saraswathi in the morning, Lakshmi at noon, and Kali in the evening. An idol of Mahavishnu shares the same pedestal, leading to the collective nomenclature of Lakshmi Narayana, Ammenarayana, Devinarayana, and Bhadrenarayana. The same pedestal also houses idols of Brahma, Shiva, Ganapathi, Subramanya, and Sastha. Structurally, the deity is a Svayambhū (lit. 'self-manifested') laterite formation known as the Rudrākṣa Śilā.