World waits for the divine fight 

The Sarkara Devi temple  hustles with activity during  the annual eight day Kaaliyootu festival .Small shops spring up in the premises with thousands of devotees coming to the temple. 
The eight-day Kaaliyoottu festival commemorates the fight between the demon Darika and the Goddess Durga. This is enacted as the symbolic ritual paraneettu. It is a fight of the good and the evil in which the good ultimately triumphs. Devi's paranu (sort of platform) is built from the trunk of coconut trees measuring a length of 70 feet. They are erected on the ground with about 6 feet dug into the sand. Darikan's paranu is built at a distance of about 100 feet from the Devi's and it is built from the trunk of the arecanut tree.  
The belief is that the symbolic fight between the Devi and Darikan, enacted at the festival, represents the fight that took place in the astral space.  
The festival reflects some of Kerala's own temple traditions. Colourful and scintillating performances of cultural programmes mark the occasion. It is festival days for all the people once the traditional flag is hoisted. Thookkam, oottam, thalapoli, thirumudi procession are some of the programmes.  
The participation of the people is very much there at every stage of the festival. After days of temple art forms, cultural programmes, and rituals, the festivities come to a close as the festive flag comes down.