Once, a king (some say it was Samoothiri Raja who ruled Malabar in ancient times) desired to have a darshan of his favourite Goddess and undertook severe penance. After years of devoted worship, the Bhagavathy pleased with his dedication, decided to fulfil his wish and asked the king to follow her by the sound of her anklets. She warned him that the moment he spoke a word, she would freeze in place, and he would only get a partial darshan of her. The king followed her for a long time, experiencing partial darshans of the Goddess in different forms: the more sound of her anklets, her hands, her upper body, and her legs. Unsatisfied with these partial glimpses, he continued his pursuit, yearning for a complete darshan. After a long and arduous journey, he finally attained a full darshan of Bhagavathy at the slopes of Thenmala (part of the Western Ghats) at Peringottukavu. Following this divine encounter, the king attained moksha (liberation).
Please wait...