This temple at Chavara Thekku Bhagam in Kollam district is one of the most ancient and famous devi temples in South Kerala. Thekkumbhagam is a beautiful island in the Ashtamudi Lake. The temple is believed to be more than a thousand years old. This island was scantly populated in ancient times. A Namboothiri youth came there once and met Koyipurath Nampeeshan Asari, an expert in architectural work. They discussed establishing a temple on the island. The expert builder built a platform and the Namboothiri consecrated Goddess Bhadrakali there. He then stayed there offering poojas at this place.  The sanctum and other structures were also built. The temple more stood on the property of the Valayaapillil family. Some documents mention that Manjipuzha Thampuran oversaw the construction of the temple. Soon lots of devotees started coming there. According to legends hundreds of years ago a Paanan was fishing at Kaali Kadavu in Ashtamudi lake. He saw a banana leaf floating towards him with some thechi flowers and raw rice.  A woman appeared there and asked the Paanan to show her the way to Panaykkattotu. Paanan walked in front and took her there. The eldest member of the Muthaalil family was waiting there. The lady asked him to send the Paanan back and handed a stick to him. She declared that she was going to be in this temple. She instructed that whenever she went out of the temple, members of the Muthaalil family should walk in front with the stick and Paanan should show the way. Saying this the effulgence went inside the old temple. Many people saw a deer wandering about there. The authorities of the temple saw the deer in a dream.  An astrological consultation was held the next day. It was seen that the lady who came there and showed the deer in the dream was Goddess Durgadevi.. Even today before the annual festival, the Goddess is taken in a procession to the four corners of the island to shower her blessings on the land and the people. In 1121 of Kolla Varsham, (1946) the temple was taken over by the Travancore Government.