Today is the Fifth Lunation ( Moon in between 48 and 60 degrees from the Sun ) and Skanda Mata is the Deity which is worshipped during the Festival of Nine Nights, Nava Ratri. ( Panchamam Skanda Mathethi... ).
Skanda Matha is the mother of Skanda, the Military General of the celestials. She observed penance to get the hand of Lord Shiva ( which was magnificenlty portrayed by Kalidasa in " Kumara Sambhava" ) and gave birth to Skanda, the Military Chief.
Another glorious Devi Temple, the Chottanikkara Amba Temple. .
Legend has it that this was once a dense forest and a tribal called Kannappan used to live here. He was a devotee of the Mother Divine and he used to sacrifice an animal daily to the Goddess. He had a cute daughter who had a pet, a cow. Kannappan used to sacrifice cows also. One day Kannappan could not find an animal to sacrifice and he told his daughter that he is sacrificing her pet cow. She entreated him to sacrifice her instead of her beloved cow.
The place where Kannappan used to sacrifice cows is of low elevation and is called Keezhe Kavu, a place devoted to the Mother Divine as Time Personified, Kali, who is Kaala Swaroopini.
Give us Wisdom, give us Prosperity
Give us Fame, O Mighty One
Give us comeliness, give us Victory
Give us Bliss Everlasting !
Vidya vantam Yasaswantham
Lakshmi Vantam Janam Kuru
Roopam Dehi Jayam Dehi
Yaso Dehi Dwisho Jahi.
More info at
http://www.guruvayur4u.com/html/spiritualtourism15.htm
