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Padarkulangara Bhagavathy Theyyam in ritual attire
Goddesses

Padarkulangara Bhagavathy

പാടാർകുളങ്ങര ഭഗവതി

A goddess linked with Puthiya Bhagavathi, with an unusual story of a divine calf.

Category
Goddess and companion
Also known as
Padakulangara Veeran, Patarkulangara
Note
Names and gender differ between sources

Who is Padarkulangara Bhagavathy?

Padarkulangara is a figure who appears with Puthiya Bhagavathi, according to Kerala Tourism. Sources do not agree on the name. Some write Padarkulangara Bhagavathy and others Padakulangara Veeran, which is a hero rather than a goddess. We found very little published about it.

The story

A folklore page tells that Puthiya Bhagavathi, on her travels, killed a traveller who had agreed to go with her. He was transformed into a divine calf and is honoured in the related Padarkulangara Theyyam. Please treat this as a single, unverified telling.

Close view of the Padarkulangara Bhagavathy Theyyam face and headdress
Photo: Kuttappan Chettan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hero photo: Kuttappan Chettan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What you will see

In photographs, the figure wears a very tall, pointed, conical red headdress over red attire and a painted face.

In the tradition

Padarkulangara appears as a companion of Puthiya Bhagavathi in her shrines.

A note for visitors

Ask your guide which companion Theyyams appear with Puthiya Bhagavathi at the shrine you visit. Photography and video are not allowed at some rituals, so ask your guide first.

Quick answers

Who is Padarkulangara Bhagavathy in Theyyam?

Padarkulangara is a figure who appears with Puthiya Bhagavathi, according to Kerala Tourism. Sources do not agree on the name. Some write Padarkulangara Bhagavathy and others Padakulangara Veeran, which is a hero rather than a goddess. We found very little published about it.

What does Padarkulangara Bhagavathy Theyyam look like?

In photographs, the figure wears a very tall, pointed, conical red headdress over red attire and a painted face.

Learn about the Theyyams with a local guide

Our guided trips explain each deity’s story as you see it, and are planned with you on enquiry. We never publish ritual dates or venues, and confirm the right nights with you closer to travel.

Enquire about a trip

Sources and further reading: Kerala Tourism: Various types of Theyyam, Kerala Folklore: Puthiya Bhagavathi Theyyam. Stories vary by shrine, family and teller; this is a general summary, not a definitive version.