Bhagavathi

Bhagavathi is the divine Shakthi, as conceived by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. Shakthi is considered as the female counterpart without whom the male aspect remains impotent. Shakthi is the energy and Shakthi worship is a vital part of Hindu Tradition.

Devi manifestation is divided into three categories.

1. Creator: Durga or the Divine Mother
2. Preserver: Lakshmi, Parvathy, and Saraswaty
3. Destroyer: Mahishasura-Mardini or Kali.

In Kerala, Devi is worshiped mostly in the form of divine mother.

Bhagavathi often transcends the spirit worship and overlaps into the field worship of Mother Goddess or the Shakti. Thus a fusion of the cults of the Spirits and Goddesses can be seen. In Kerala, the Bhagavathi worship is a part of Teyyam (spirit) worship.

The word Bhagavathi appears as a female equivalent (Goddess) of the word Bhagavantha, the God. However, the word ‘Bhaga’ basically has dual meanings such as (1) prosperity and (2) female genitalia. Thus, shades of primitive genital worship notions can be found in the word. Thus the ‘Bhagavathi’ essentially stands for an honorable woman, the creator and a symbol of prosperity.