Yakshi is a female goddess associated with the fertility of earth, love and beauty. She probably originated with the early Dravidians but have subsequently been absorbed in to the imagery of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. She has been worshipped since pre historic times in Indian. The roles and
functions of this deity went through dramatic changes over period of time. The cult is closely associated with the primitive mode of worship even before the development of philosophy and theological doctrines in the Hindu fold. This paper intends to analyse the development of Yakshi cult in Kerala and its
prevalence in Kerala society. The cult points of this deity are placed along the land routes of trade leading from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu into Kerala. A detailed survey of the midlands and low lands of Kerala testifies that the cult points were located along the water highways and interior land routes starting from the Western Ghats to Arabian Sea. The cult is closely interlinked with the Gramadevatha concept and
with folk deities.