Puthiya Bhagavathi
Puthiya Bhagwati is also called Puthyoti. Puthiya Bhagavathy is a very elegant theyam that is seen in many places of northern Kerala, especially in Kola Swarupa.
In ancient times, it was thought that the gods were the ones who caused disease and eliminate disease. Puthiya Bhagavathy is the deity created by Lord Shiva to eliminate the smallpox disease that has spread to the world of Gods and Earth.
Cheerumbas are the deities that emerged from the third eye of Lord Shiva. The elder and younger chirumbas were created by Mahadeva to establish happiness and peace in the world of gods and on earth. However, those deities spread smallpox to Mahadev, and when they reached the human world, they spread smallpox to everyone there. Paramashiva’s illness increased and people’s life became chaotic due to disease on earth as well. To find a solution to this, Mahadeva performed a forty-day yaga. On the forty-first day after the sacrifice, a new daughter emerged from yaga fire, that is the Puthiya Bhagavati.
Lord Shiva gave chicken and burnt offering to quench the thirst of Bhagwati, who was born from fire. Lord Shiva said to the Puthiya Bhagavati that your mission is to cure the smallpox disease of the world and the human world. Soon the smallpox of Lord Shiva and the Devas was cured by the Puthiya Bhagwati. Then taking the sword, chilamb and Kanaka flag given by Mahadeva, the Puthiya Bhagavati went to the human world to cure the disease spread by the Chirumbas. Lord Shiva sent six brothers along with Puthiya Bhagwati for help. The Puthiya Bhagwati who came to earth cured everyone of smallpox. Puthiya Bhagavathy and her siblings lived in a fort called Villapuram Kota in a place called Villapuram in the northern part of Malanadu.
One day the Chirumbas and the Puthiya Bhagwati met. The Chirumbas told Puthiya Bhagavati that she should not spread the smallpox disease that they sow, and Puthiya bhagavathi agreed on that, and they shared the treasure gold.
So one day, a very powerful demon called Karthavirasura killed all the six brothers of the Puthiya Bhagavati. On hearing this, Bhagavati cut off the demon’s head, burned it in the fire and applied the tilak with the ashes. Determining that she would not stay in the Villapuram Fort alone without her brothers, the Puthiya Bhagavathy burned down the Villapuram Fort and turned it into ashes, becoming an avenging deity, Puthiya Bhagwati’s started her journey from north to south. Puthiya Bhagavathy destroyed everything she saw on her journey, vacated three hundred and thirty houses, and killed the Fishermen from the place Kottikulam. Veerar Kali diety saw the Puthiya Bhagavati Kaliyamma during her walk, and Virar Kali surrendered to the influence of the Puthiya Bhagwati and gave Bhagwati a place, even though Veerarkali decided to not to accept the Puthiya Bhagwati, the demon who kills everyone as a revenge idol.
At a place called Patar Kulangara, the Puthiya Bhagavathy met a Brahmin who was about to visit the Perunchellur temple. The Puthiya Bhagwati told him that I am also coming to the temple. He agreed to it. Puthiya Bhagavati told him that he can leave after the bath, but the Puthiya Bhagavati cut him to death and drank his blood when he came down to take a bath. That Brahmin who brutally killed the Puthiya Bhagavati then turned into a God’s calf, and Theyyam comes to performed up that God’s calf in the name of Patarkulangara Deva.
The Puthiya Bhagwati went to Madiyan and Moolacheri clans who practiced magic. The Puthiya Bhagavati who arrived at Moolacheri Taravat asked Moolacheri Kurup to perform homam for her, but saying that there was a mistake in the homam, Bhagavati threw Kurup’s son-in-law into the Homa fire and killed him. Afraid of making a mistake, Kurup gave the position to Bhagwati.
The Puthiya Bhagavati and her friends came in the dream of the Kola region King and told them that they should be perform Puthiya Bhagavathi theyyam. According to it, legend has it that a Puthiya Bhagwati Theyyam is performed anywhere today in Kola region.
