Vellayani Sree Bhadrakali Temple is one of the ancient temples in Kerala. The temple is 800 years old. This temple has a great speciality that the priesthood of the temple, the only temple under the Travancore Devaswom Board, belongs to the Viswakarma community. In the very olden days when caste and creed discrimination existed, this temple allowed all people to enter the temple for adoration. All rituals and customs of this temple are for the well-being of the mankind. The ultimate intention of these rituals is the development of the moral values of the society. In ancient times the roof of the temple was thatched with palm more leaf sheets and deer horns were installed for adoration. Later the idol with thirumudi (crown) was installed and worshipped. The temple is also known as Mudippura because there Thirumudi (the holy crown of the Goddess) is also worshipped. The moolasthanam of the temple was near a Lake known as Kayalkkarathekkathu. Later the lake was converted to paddy fields and thekkathu became away from the lake. Colloquially this place became Kaikkarathekkathu. This is also the burial place of Sri Kelan Kulasekhara Vaathy. The Thekkath was in a thick forest and a Nagavigraha prathishta was there with a pond. Sri Kelan Vaathy used to bathe in the pond and worship this Nagavigraha after lighting lamps. This pond has disappeared gradually. There was also a chembaka tree and beneath this tree, Karuvan Parayan was worshipped. A balikkallu has been installed in this place and worship is going on. Nivedhyam of the temple is the balance of the feast taken by the God of Kaikkarathekkathu.  Other deities of the temple are Kannimoola Ganapathy, Thrimoorthies and Kalaman kombu (deer horn). In the northeastern corner of the temple, the village God Madan Thampuran is seated. Near this, there is a Nagaprathishta and Kshethrapalakan also is worshipped. The place where Kshethrapalaka is adored is known as Thanumaram. During festival days only, Lord Siva is taken outside for procession from the thrimoorthies. The other two moorthies, Brahma and Vishnu, are taken only for holy bathing (arattu) at the end of the Kaliyootu festival. Lord Siva of the temple is of Lad nature. It is believed that Goddess Bhadrakali’s anger was not finished after the killing of demon Darikan. To make her calm Lord Siva lay on the way in the form of a small boy. The Goddess saw the crying boy and fed him with her breast milk. Lord sucked her anger with the breast milk. In remembrance of this nivedhyam is given as rice filled in a cone made of plantain leaf. Officially the Kaliyootu festival is for 41 days but due to technical reasons, there is variation in the number of days. Every temple festival starts with kodiyettu (flag hoisting) but here by the end of the festival to announce the starting of the nallirippu flag is hoisted. Another speciality of the flag hoisting is that the flag is tied to the pole and the pole itself is erected straight. The Goddess of this temple is worshipped by crowning with the head of Dharika whom she killed. This head is made of wood and made by carpenters from the viswakarma community. After worship, this crown is taken back by the family and worshipped at their house with daily prayers and lights.