• The Bharani festival commemorates the birth of Bhadrakali (Hindu Goddess) who according to Hindu mythology was considered to be born from the third eye of Samhara Rudra (Lord Shiva) and was the one who went to finish off the demon Darika.
• Celebrated in Kodungallur, the ancient capital of Kerala, the festival is held at Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple (Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple), one of the oldest and wealthiest temples in the State.
• The historical city Kodungallur finds mention in the Ramayana as well as in other ancient texts. In one of them, it is called Muchiri Pattanam, Muchiri denotes the three branches of the Periyar river, which open into the Arabian Sea at this town.
• The festival usually falls in the Malayalam month of Meenam (roughly March/April) and every year, thousands of devotees and curious visitors come to attend this seven-day annual festival starting from the Bharani asterism in the month of Kumbham to 7 days after the Bharani asterism in the month of Meenam.
• The Bharani festival unleashes the fury of the low caste people who were not allowed inside the temple during ancient times, this is when all of them dance around the temple marking their presence to their beloved Goddess.
• The rituals at this temple are believed to have originated from the ancient ties between Kodungallur and the region under the Chera rule that also had their second capital – Thondi.
• This unique festival begins with the ritual called ‘Kozhikkallu Moodal’ which involves the sacrifice of cocks and shedding of their blood, which forms an important feature of this temple. It is to appease the goddess Kali and her demons who take delight in blood offerings.
• Kavu Theendal and Bharani Paatu are the two significant rituals held as a part of the festival.
• The spectacular event called Kavu Theendal is held on the day prior to Bharani asterism.
• The Raja of Kodungallur plays an important role in this festival because the belief is that Goddess Kodungallur bhagavathi is the patron of the Cranganore (Kodungallur) royal family. Thus Kavu Theendal ceremony starts when one among the royal family unfolds the Pattukkuda, a red Umbrella used for declaring the commencement of the Bharani festival. It also is a sign of granting permission to the lower caste people to enter the temple.
• Devotees run around the temple three times with sticks in their hands, before entering the temple. This ritual commemorates the slaying of the demon Darika, and the sticks are said to be substitutes for the swords and other weapons used for the ritual in the past.
• Then Oracles (Vlichappadu or Komarams) both men and women from different parts of the state run in a trance state around the temple and smite their foreheads with the sword, proclaiming their communion with the Mother Goddess while their devotees refrain “thaannaro thannaro” and strike the temple rafters with bamboo sticks and tossing offerings over the roof and on to the inner quadrangle.
• The Oracles, with blood-covered faces, bright red attire with bells attached to it, and curled swords dance and sing the “Bharani Pattu”. They make the cry of abuse at the goddess in the bawdy language.
• The belief is that when the oracles perform, the energy of the goddess is invoked in their body, hence most oracles do not use medicine on the wound as they believe that Goddess Kali would heal them while some covered the wound with turmeric as blood drips down their face. 
• The Bharani Pattu is mainly obscure songs that are believed to calm the Goddess and stop her from destroying the world. Some of the songs refer to the benevolence, ferocity, and divine powers of the goddess, while most songs describe the insatiable sexual desires of the Goddess and the unimaginable nature of her vulva, along with imaginative sexual postures. It is recited by all the people visiting the temple, irrespective of sex and age.

Food:

• Appam with stew
• Puttu and Kadala Curry
• Banana Fritters
• Banana Halwa
• Pathiri (Rice Roti)
• Idiyappam (Sevai)
• Coconut Toddy

Photography:

• Oracles dancing in the trance state
• Devotees running around the temple
• Ritual of Kozhikkallu Moodal
• Devotees singing Bharani Pattu

Places:

• Cheraman Juma Masjid
• Thriprayar Sree Rama Temple
• St Thomas Church
• Marthoma Pontifical Shrine
• Kottapuram Muziris Fort (Cranganore Fort)

Worth Seeing -

• Cheraman Juma Masjid
• Kadappuram Beach
• Thriprayar Sree Rama Temple
• Koodalmanikyam Temple
• Thiruvanchikulam Mahadeva Temple
• Azhikode Munakkal Beach
• Cranganore Fort