Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra: This temple in Nagercoil is dedicated to Kaliyankattu Neeli; know more

The Kalyani Priyadarshan-starrer film ‘Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra’ has re-ignited film buffs’ interest in Kerala’s folklore stories, characters, myths and locations. The age-old legend of the yakshi named Kaliyankattu Neeli, mentioned in the movie, is quite familiar to the Kerala audience. However, did you know that there is a temple dedicated to the vampire, that, too, near Thiruvananthapuram? The ‘Kaliyankattu Neeli Amman Temple’ is located in Kaliyankadu, close to Parvathipuram in Chunkankadai near Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.

What to see?
Located in a dark grove, the small temple has a mystical, otherworldly ambience. Aneesh Thakadiyil, a media person who visited the spot a few years ago, says, “Even the occasional breeze here has an ethereal feel to it. The area still has a lot of ‘kallimullu’ (cactus) plants, from which the name 'Kaliyankadu' originates. It is not a thickly inhabited area. Kaliyankadu also has many rocky terrains."

According to him, it’s not a very popular temple, except for its annual festival, which happens around March–April. "It is a developing temple now. Though it was in ruins in the past, now it is being taken up by local people and is being developed." Maruthwamala, where Sree Narayana Guru has mediated for eight years, is just about 7 km from Kaliyankadu. The temple also has prathishttas of Bhadrakali and Ganapathi in its premises. 

Nagercoil, which is part of the yesteryear 'Nanchinadu' of old Travancore, has many such interesting deities, says Aneesh. "If you take a dual from the past, both the killer and the killed are still prayed to as divine beings in this area. For example, take the incident of Travancore King Marthanda Varma, who killed Umminithanka. Both Marthanda Varma and Umminithanka have 'kovils' in their name in this region," he says. At the same time, Aneesh opines that the 'Neeli' contained by the legendary figure Kadamattathu Kathanar was not Kaliyankattu Neeli, but Panayanarkkavu Neeli, a different yakshi. 

How to reach?
If you are taking a bus, head to Nagercoil from Thiruvananthapuram and get down at the Chunkankadai bus stop. From there, take any bus that goes on the Kaliyankadu route. From the bus stop, take the road on the sides of the paddy fields, bordered by Arali plants, to reach the temple in Parvathipuram. 

If your means of travel is a private vehicle, from Thiruvananthapuram, take the Nagercoil route on the Thiruvananthapuram – Kanyakumari NH 47. After the place named Villukkuri, the next on the way is Chunkankadai. Kaliyankadu is located after this spot. The location is around 60 km from Thiruvananthapuram.