Karineeli bhagavati
She is none other than Tvarita Parvati, who took the form of Neeli at Karimala in Kalladikode and stayed behind for her people.
Her full story — Mutthikkulam, her many swarupas, and the testimony of Gurukkanmar Mayon — is told here.
Karineeli Bhagavati is a fierce form of the Goddess when it comes to sadhana, and to destroying our enemies or hers. But does she have an enemy? How can the Goddess carry enmity? Here she belongs to the mantrika, and so the practitioner’s enemy becomes her enemy.
This is why mantrika vidya remains highly secret and one cannot find texts about it, and only the able recipient — one who is the embodiment of love — is taught these vidyas. So that even the offensive vidyas shall remain defensive in such hands, like a King holding the Sword.
Though her land is of Kerala, she speaks in Tamil when she talks with people. She is the mother of all Chathan murtis, including the clan of Venthalai Chathan murtis.
One Amba, Two Names — Kalladikode Karineeli and Kalliyankattu Neeli
Yet the two sampradayas see her differently. In the Kalladikode sampradayam, she is seen as no different from Parvati. In the Kalliyankattu folklore, she is seen as a yakshini or evil spirit who harms people, drinking their blood and killing them.
This too should be mentioned. In the Kadamattom sampradayam, there is a folklore that their Kathanar subdued Neeli Bhagavati once & she escaped — though in our parampara, our mantrika vidya claims that her prayoga can never be reversed which says – her vidya is the queen of prayogas here. In the Kadamattom sampradayam, they say that Kathanar still lives in the patala loka and reached there through the well.
In our Kalladikode sampradayam, it is said that Karinkutti Chathan and Karineeli Bhagavati together summoned Patala Kutti — one of the Kuttichathans who resides in the patala loka — and he emerged through the well from the patala loka, and took Kathanar back to the patala loka through the same well.
This looks similar to the story of Sharabeshwara and Gandabherunda Nrusimha in the tantra shastra. Instead of contesting by holding on to one, it is good to hold on to one belief and take the other one light-heartedly, as human minds cannot interpret the divine plays properly.
Sometimes Karineeli bhagavati appears like a wild animal, sometimes like a deceiving youthful woman, and sometimes like a wicked old woman — before her devotees, or before those whom she is willing to harm on account of her sadhaka.
She keeps re-assuring her sadhaka of her presence — through the sound of anklets, a single laughter, or sometimes by calling our names. During her puja, when fear enters the heart — that clarifies the presence of Karineeli Bhagavati.
It is she who is called Karineeli, and also Neeli. Karimalai or Karimala — is where Amba Parvati has taken the form of Neeli. So here Neeli becomes Karineeli, the name denoting her origin from Karimala.
A word of care, for the confusion is easy here. The Karimala of Karineeli Bhagavati is the Karimala of Kalladikode, in Palakkad — the hill that bears Mutthikkulam. It is not the Karimala counted among the eighteen hills of Sabarimala, in Pathanamthitta. They are different mountains, in different lands. Her seat is Kalladikode.
Offerings to Karineeli Bhagavati
Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods are to be offered to her. Vegetarian alone will not help us earn the grace of the mantrika shaktis. If you worship the Shakti as Parvati, even one fruit is enough; if you worship the same Parvati as Karineeli Bhagavati, you must offer what she likes – bali, blood and non-vegetarian foods.
Her Sight Falls Both Ways — A Recent Testimony from the Ashtabandana process
During the process of ashtabandana, two Vedic brahmanas came to her Pitham. One asked the other whether she must be offered only non-vegetarian foods, and he said, “Yes.” But — as she ordained — when we approached Karineeli Bhagavati to apply the ashtabandana, it was midnight. And she answered the Veda brahmana with the smell of various vegetarian (brahmanical) dishes, along with the smell of fried papad.
It is to this level that her sight will fall — upon her devotees, and upon those who trouble them.
Nitya seva for Karineeli Bhagavati is performed at Kanchana Pitham. To receive the monthly notifications about her nitya seva, follow Chidakasha Bhairava on Facebook.
FAQs
Is Karineeli Bhagavati the same as Kalliyankattu Neeli? In our parampara, yes. Kalladikode Karineeli and Kalliyankattu Neeli are held to be one and the same fierce Amba, known across the land under two names.
Does Karineeli Bhagavati have enemies? By her own nature, no — how can the Goddess carry enmity? But as a mantrika Shakti, she takes the practitioner’s enemy as her own.
Why is Karineeli Bhagavati’s vidya kept secret? Because it is taught only to the able recipient who is an embodiment of love — so that even offensive vidyas remain defensive in such hands, like a King holding the Sword.
Which Karimala is Karineeli Bhagavati’s seat? The Karimala of Kalladikode in Palakkad, which bears Mutthikkulam — not the Karimala among the eighteen hills of Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta. They are different mountains in different lands.
What is offered to Karineeli Bhagavati? Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. Worshipped as Parvati, one fruit suffices; worshipped as Karineeli Bhagavati, one must offer what she likes.
What does it mean if fear arises during her puja? It clarifies her presence — during her puja, fear entering the heart is the sign that Karineeli Bhagavati has come.
