Padar Kulangara Bhagavathy Theyyam is an important Theyam belonging to the group of Mother Gods. Padar Kulangara Bhagwati, a fierce idol, clings to the concept of Kali, the daughter of Shiva. The legend behind this Theyyam is that Bhagwati, born from Lord Shiva’s bonfire, cured Shiva’s smallpox and later came to earth to take care of the rest of the world.
One day a Nair who was hunting a dog saw a divine light in the forest and he had the realization that it was Patarkulangara Bhagwati. Then Padar Kulangara Bhagwati was given a place in the country and Padar Kulangara Bhagwati started to performed as Theyyam.
Neeleswaram Kinavur Karimula Padar Kulangara Kavu(temple) is the base place of this Theiyam. In the olden days, there was a belief that if you worship Padar Kulangara Bhagwati’s shrine and pray, you will get gold. But the gold obtained should be returned to Kavu when needed. One day, a woman of the Patar Churikadan Nair tribe could not return the gold she had obtained through prayer. Realizing this, the goddess vehicle, the crocodile, set out to attack the woman. But the goddess turned the crocodile into stone by her mantra power, which had set out to attack the woman without her permission. It is believed that the stone in the shape of a crocodile near Patar Kulangara Kavu is a crocodile that Bhagwati turned into stone in the past.
Realizing the mistake of the woman in his house, the elder man of Churikadan Nair tribe made a kavu for the goddess in Patar Chathammat.
The story of Padar Kulangara Veeran is also related to Patar Kulangara Bhagwati. Devi reached Padar Kulangara pond in Malanadu and came to know that a Brahmin was watching while she is bathing there. Angri Devi cut the throat of that Brahmin and drank the blood. The story behind the Padar Kulangara Veeran Theyyam is that the Brahmin who was killed by the Patar Kulangara Devi later became the son of God and was performed up as another Theyyam named Padar Kulangara Veeran.
Although the above legend about Padar Kulangara Bhagwati is more popular, there is another popular legend that Padar Kulangara Bhagavati is actually the Mohini, God Mahavishnu’s avatar.
