Thread by @satyaagrahindia

#भारत का एक ऐसा त्यौहार जिसमे पुरुष, महिलाओं का वेश धारण कर करते है पूजा अर्चना❣️केरल के कोटमकुलंगरा के चामयविलक के देवी मंदिर में एक विशेष त्योहार होता है जिसे "चंगुल कुट्टि" या "चंगुल कुट्टिका" नाम से जाना जाता है

#Bharat #Sanatan @incredibleindia #IncredibleIndia #Satyaagrah

It is a unique festival and probably the only one of its kind in the world, where men dress up in traditional women's dress and offer prayers. This is the #Chamayavilakku festival at the #Kottankulangara Sree Devi Temple in #Kerala's #Kollam district

The #Kottankulangara Devi Temple is a #Hindu #temple to the goddess Durga #Bhagavathy or #AadiShakthi, the supreme mother of power, located in the village of Chavara, #Kerala, #India

Legend | a group of cow herders got a coconut from this place. They found a stone in the southern part of Bhoothakulam. When they hit the coconut on the rock (intending to remove the husk), they found drops of blood dripping from the stone. They explained phenomena to the elders

The astrologer suggested that the stone contained supernatural powers and that poojas should be started immediately after constructing a temple.

The elders and cow herders built a temporary temple using poles, leaves, and tender leaves of the coconut palm. It was a custom in ancient days that balikas used to prepare flower garlands, and lit the pooja lamps in ancient Kudumba temples

Accepting this tradition, cow herders wearing female attire, offered poojas in the temple. The milky liquid prepared from coconut kernel was boiled, the medicinal oil (Urukku Velichenna) was extracted and a solid substance taken (Kottan) was offered to the goddess as Naivedyam

The stone is regarded as the deity. There is also a belief that the stone has been growing in size over the years. 

Now that this ritual has become hugely popular, the festival attracts people of various faiths and a large number of them come from outside Kerala.