Kannur (Kerala): The Sree Thiruvarkkattu Kavu bhagavathy temple, also known as the Madayi Kavu temple, located near Payyanur in the Kannur district of north Kerala, has long offered chicken as 'prasada' to its devotees. This practice has recently gained more attention due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks criticizing some opposition leaders for consuming non-vegetarian food during Hindu holy months, which did not sit well with the devotees at this temple.

Temple officials mentioned that animal sacrifice was practiced here until it was prohibited by law. However, chicken is still prepared daily as an offering to the deity and distributed among the devotees. The priests, who have ancestral links to Bengal Brahmins, cook the chicken dish inside the temple premises. This is served to devotees along with cooked green gram.

The temple, managed by the Malabar Devaswom, is considered the mother of all Bhadrakali temples in north Kerala and is believed to be centuries old. It attracts a significant number of devotees, including many from Karnataka. Notably, BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, B S Yediyurappa, who last visited the temple in 2016, is among its devotees. He even donated a dining hall, inaugurated in 2009 and named 'Amrithadayani Ootupura.'

BJP state leaders, celebrities, and politicians frequently visit this temple, and at least three other temples in the region are also known to distribute chicken as 'prasada.'

The temple's tradition of offering chicken has been highlighted following Modi's controversial statement, leading to comments from figures like CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who suggested that Modi should visit the temple. Amid these developments, temple priests express concern that the ongoing controversy may impact the long-standing tradition.