Malumel Bhagavathy temple is at the Thodiyoor panchayath in Kraunagappally Thaaluk of Kerala. History shows that the place where the temple now stands was once known as Odanad and was under the King of Kayamkulam. Legend says that once a woman named Mala was cutting leaves to make mats near the river. She saw a light come floating in the water. Hearing her frightened cries on seeing this, the people in the neighbourhood came there and they understood that there was a divine presence in it. The eldest member of the Nelloor family informed the King of Kayamkulam about it through his army chief. On more astrological consultation, it was seen that the effulgence contained the power of the goddess. The priests got the effulgence onto a silver plate and consecrated it at the Kavu of the Nelloor family. Later under the leadership of the King, it was transferred to the Kalari on the eastern side. There is an area of six acres on the western side of the temple which in those days was the iKalariparambu, the ground for training the soldiers. Today the festival on the 1st of the Malayalam month of Medam is celebrated with EduppuKuthira and Kettukazcha at these grounds. There is a platform named Malethara built in memory of the woman who first saw the effulgence. There is also the belief that it was the deity worshipped by the fishermen of the seashore that came floating in the flood waters. So, this community still worships the Goddess as their own.
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