Lokanarkavu Temple, A Special Place to Visit in Kozhikode District

The temple is regarded as one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage centers in the district of Kozhikode
. The temple is suited in a quaint village called Memuda, which is located at a distance of about 4 km from Vatakara. The place has said to have been believed long time ago when the Aryans migrated to the state of Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Historical Importance

The temple is mostly popular for its historical importance. The historical importance of this temple is closely related with the renowned Kalaripayattu artists and hero Thacholi Othenan, who was popular for his expertise in martial arts. The person was highly respected for his professionalism in his art among the people of Kerala.

He was a sincere devotee of Lokanarkavu Devi and used to visit this temple daily and pray to the Goddess. With the legendary devotion of Thacholi Othenan and his own legacy, the people who follow this form of martial art, still pray to the Goddess before their first performance.

Another historical importance linked with this temple is that various forms of poojas were offered to the Goddess of this temple by various rulers of Kerala. Poojas like Thamasa pooja and Shakteya pooja were performed in which human sacrifices were made to the Goddess. But as time went by, the mode of worship to the Goddess got changed and the human sacrifices got replaced with different types of fruits and flowers.

Attractions

The main attractions of this temple are its festivals. The chief festival celebrated in this temple is Mandala Utsavam, which is held once in a year. Another interesting fact about this temple is the rare form of folk dance performed during the festivals, called Poorakkali. The dance form is similar to the Kalarippayattu form of martial art. Pooram is another important festival celebrated in this temple. There are few other festivals celebrated in this temple during the year and all these festivals are celebrated with much grandeur and devotion by the devotees. When the devotees pray to the Goddess, they also pray to their ancestors as they believe that their prayers will go unheard if they do not remember their ancestors.

Best Time to Visit

There are two best seasons to visit the place, one is from November to December and the other one is from March to April.

Accommodation

There are plenty of options for accommodation around Lokanarkavu Temple that offer excellent quality of staying facilities. The hotels and resorts found in this reason are facilitated with almost all the modern day amenities that make your stay at this place into a comfortable one. The hotels and resorts are ranged from budget to luxury class, so there would not be much trouble for any kind of budget traveler staying at this place.

How to Reach

By Rail: The Nearest railway station to the temple is Vadakara Railway Station, which located on the

Kozhikode-Mangalore line, located at a distance of about 5 km. The station is well linked with various major cities in south India. Local and hired taxis are available from the station to the place.

By Air: The nearest airport to the temple is Karipur International Airport, located at a distance of about 23 km from Kozhikode town. Bus services and hired taxis are available from the airport to the Lokanarkavu temple.

By Road: The place is easily accessible by road from Kozhikode town, located at a distance of about 48 km. Regular buses and taxi services are available from the town to the temple. Kozhikode is well connected with various major cities within the state.