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Mangalam Edakkadu Njaneswara Temple – Shivaratri Festival

Mangalam Edakkadu Njaneswara temple is located at Mangalam near Thrikkunnapuzha in Alappuzha district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Shiva who is worshipped here as the fountainhead of knowledge. Mahashivratri festival which usually falls in February or March (Malayalam Kumbha Masam) is observed in the temple. It is a 10-day festival in the shrine.

The annual Shivratri festival in the temple is famous for procession, traditional temple folk art forms, pujas and rituals. Huge effigies of ox known as Kala Varavu is pulled to the temple in the evening and is an important event during the festival. Chuttu padayani is another important ritual. The murti of Bhagavan is also taken atop a caparisoned elephant during the annual festival.

The temple has a chuttambalam, namaskara mandapam with Nandi, kodimaram and upa devata shrines.

The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Ayyappa, Goddess Parvati, Ganapati, Subrahmanya and Nagas.

There is a very interesting historical remnant located in front of the temple premises; an Anchal Box of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom

Ramayana Masam (Karkidakam (July – August), Vrischika Masam and Dhanu Masam are observed in the temple.