Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the most famous Lord Vishnu Temples in Kerala, South India. Also known as Sree Ananda Padmanabhaswamy Temple, this Mahavishnu Temple is located inside East Fort, in Thiruvananthapuram - the capital city of Kerala, India. Lord Vishnu is enshrined here in the Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yognidra), lying on Sri Anantha, the hooded snake. According to traditions, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram is believed to have been worshipped by Chandra (Moon God) and Lord Indra (the head of the Devas).Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of the Lord Mahavishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is also one of the seven Parasurama kshetras in Kerala. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is named after the Lord. The word Thiruvananthapuram literally means "The land of Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy. The idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is made up of 12008 salagramams that compose the reclining lord. They are special because they are from Nepal, from the banks of river Gandhaki and they were brought to the temple with all pomp and gaiety on elephant top. On top of them "Katusarkara Yogam", Navaratnams, a special Ayurvedic mix, was used to give a plaster. Followers believe that the Lord has personally come in disguise and had saved many times the Travancore Kingdom from the clutches of enemies.
Around 90,000 crore worth treasure (Nidhi) has been found in the secret cellars of the famous Kerala Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu - Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). The 7 member paper appointed by the Supreme Court of India, has been preparing the list of valuable found in the cellars of Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. The temple has 6 Secret Cellars (Nilavara – a place to keep assets safe) from Cellar A to Cellar F. Opening of each of these chambers is revealing a virtual treasure trove with precious diamonds, golden ornaments, emeralds, jewelleries, rare antique silver and brass platters and golden idols. An estimation of above 90,000 crore treasure was valued at the completion of the 6th day of valuing the assets of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.The main treasure found on the 6th day was a one foot (12 angulams) height golden idol of Lord Mahavishnu and a 30 kg golden ‘anki’. This golden idol of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the replica of the ‘utsava vigraham' used in the temple. The golden idol of Padmanabhaswamy studded with more than 1000 previous stones is valued to around Rs. 500 Crore. Another golden idol of Lord Sree Krishna was also found which weighs around 5 kg. Several golden coins were also unearthed yesterday which are believed to be issued during the reign of Krishnadeva Rayar in the 16th century AD. Numerous golden ornaments which were used to adorn the main deity were also found in the Vault marked A. Ornaments studded with emeralds were also found on Saturday. Numerous golden human figurine weighing 1 kg, golden bangles, golden rope, are other interesting treasure found in the Vishnu Temple. Another interesting finding was two coconut shells made of pure gold. One of this golden coconut shell was students with rare antique stones including emeralds and rubies.
Attukal Bhagavati Temple
The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, one of the ancient temples of South India, is popularly described as Sabarimala of the Women, as women form the major portion of devotees. The Goddess in the temple of Attukal is worshipped as the Supreme Mother, creator of all living beings and the mighty preserver as well as destroyer of them all. The pilgrims from all over the country, who visit Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple and worship the Lord, do not consider their visits complete without the visit to the shrine of the supreme Mother Attukalamma. Vishnumaya took the incarnation of Bhagavathy to annihilate the evil and protect the good in the world in the present Era namely Kaliyuga.
According to mythology, Attukal Bhagavathy is supposed to be the divinised form of Kannaki, the famous heroine of Chilapathikaram, written by Elenkovadikal, the Tamil Poet. The story goes that after the destruction of ancient city of Madurai, Kannaki left the city and reached Kerala via Kanyakumari and on the way to Kodungalloor took a sojourn at Attukal. Kannaki is supposed to be the incarnation of Parvathy, the consort of Paramasiva. The all powerful and benign Attukal Bhagavathy reigns eternally supreme at Attukal and nurses devotees as a mother does her children. Thousands of devotees from far and near flock to the Temple to bend before the Goddess with awe and reverence to prostrate and redress their affliction and agony.
The Pongala Mahotsavam is the most important festival of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. The offering of Pongala is a special temple practice prevalent in the southern part of Kerala and some parts of Tamilnadu. It is a ten-day programme commencing on the Karthika star of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham (February-March) and closing with the sacrificial offering known as Kuruthitharpanam at night. On the ninth day of the festival the world famous Attukal Pongala Mahotsavam takes place. The entire area of about 5 kilometre radius around temple with premises of houses of people of all caste, creed and religion, open fields, roads, commercial institutions, premises of Government offices etc. emerges as a consecrated ground for observing Pongala rituals for lakhs of women devotees assembling from different parts of Kerala and outside. The ceremony is exclusively confined to women folk and the enormous crowd, which gathers in Thiruvananthapuram on this auspicious day is reminiscent of the Kumbhamela Festival of North India.
Karikkakom Chamundi Devi Temple
Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple is one of the ancient temples in south India. It is situated in Trivandrum District.Ponkala is an exclusive festival for women. On the day of Ponkala, lakhs of women devotees assemble from different places from Kerala, a sweet offering of rice, jaggery and coconut, in earthen pots. After Ponkala, the chief priest of the temple goes around and blesses the devotees by sprinkling holy water and flower petals on them.
Karikkakom Sree Chamundi kshetram is seven kilo meters east of Thiruvandanthapuram city.
A very powerful deity.Originally a family owned Kshetram of Madathu Veedu in Karikakaam.In early 70's formed into a trust and now the Kshetram affairs looked after by the trust.The Kshetram had plenty of land which was donated by the Maharaja of Travancore to Godess Chamundi in return for the poojas carried out by Karikakam Asan .
The Kshetram is unique in the sense that it has united all the people living in Karikakam and surrounding areas irrespective of religious beliefs.
The most important fact is that the Kshetram has provided a livelihood to many families and improved the economy of people in the surrounding areas who may have had no other source income.
The seven-day-long festival at the Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Kshetram began on Thursday, 13th March 2008. Besides the daily poojas, special poojas and rituals will be held during the festival.
The Kshetram authorities have arranged all facilities for the scores of devotees who are expected to visit the Kshetram during the festival days. The pongala offering to the Devi will be held on the final day, March 19.
The pongala will begin at 10 a.m. and nivedyam will take place at 2.30 p.m. Special transportation facilities for devotees will be arranged by the Kshetram authorities on the pongala day.
A gurupooja was held at the Kshetram on Thursday. A musical programme in the morning and a kathakali performance, ‘Bali vijayam’, by Madavoor Vasudevan Nair and party from 10.30 p.m. were the highlights of the festival programme on the first day.
A Bharatanatyam performance and fusion dance by actor Shobhana and party and a ganamela will mark the programmes on Friday. Ravi Shankar and Vrinda Menon, television artists, will perform at the ganamela to be held on Saturday.
Sagara Orchestra will conduct a ganamela on Sunday. Playback singer Madhu Balakrishnan will be part of the ganamela to be staged in the Kshetram on Monday.
A dance drama, Agnisharman, will be staged on the sixth day of the festival by Sreepadmam Arts. On the final day, there will be fireworks display at midnight. On all these days, devotees can partake of the annadanam in the Kshetram.
Varkala Janardana Swamy Temple
The old-age Sree Janardana Temple at Varkala which attract a great number of devotees from all over the country. It is located about two kilometer west of Varkala railway station atop a hill on the coast. This temple is situated on the seashore in Varkala at Trivandrum district and is a Mahakshetra. The presiding deity is Vishnu, and the idol including the lotus shaped platform is six feet in height. As per epic the idol was found from the southern sea coast. The sanctum sanctorum is round in shape and is facing east. Four poojas are conducted in a day abiding by Cherumukku thanthric. The chief priest should compulsorily be from another place, and should not be a native of the place where the temple exists. Sub-deities are Ganapathi, Shastha, Ananthakrishanan (Nagam) Shiv a, Chandikeshan, Hanuman and Nagam. Ten days festival is observed with an arrattu on the Uthram star day of the Malayalam month of Meena. Offering of Bali here for the repose of souls is a very important ritual. As per Mahabharatha, Balabhadran has come here for a pilgrimage. There is an interesting legend behind it. Once Brahma was relaxing in his Vyjayanti assembly, the stage Narada entered singing in the praises of Sree Narayana. Brahma was so enraptured that he fell at the feet of Narada seeing him not as a son but as Hari himself. The other Devas saw this burst into laughter and Brahma, greatly embarrassed , infuriated, cursed then banishing them to earth where they could purify their minds and acquire knowledge and wisdom. Narada consoled the devas and advised them to do penance at the place where his valkalam fell. And the place where it lended is now called ‘varkala’ a colloquial from of valkalm. The devas built a temple there dedicated to Lord Krishna. This was however destroyed by sea erosion. Lord Brahma , the legend goes, came to earth one day to conduct a yega. Lord Mahavishnu as Sree Janardana Swamy appeared before him to bless the devas and redeem them. The presiding deity of Varkala temple is thus Sree Janardana Swamy. The image has four handed one holding divine water, another, the conch, the third, the discus and the fourth, the mace.
Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple
Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathi Temple is one of the most famous Lord Ganesh temples in Kerala, situated at East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. Located in the heart of Trivandrum city, the original idol of the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple is a small idol of Lord Ganesh, with the right leg in the folded posture. Pazhavangadi Ganapati Temple is one of the main temples in Thiruvananthapuram. The temple is situated within walking distance from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Lord Vishnu.
Other deities worshiped at Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapati Kovil are Lord Ayyappa, Goddess Durga, Nagaraja, and Brahmarakshas. Devotees can see beautiful paintings of the 32 forms of Lord Ganesh inside the temple complex.
The original Ganesha idol installed in the temple was worshiped by a soldier of Travancore Army stationed at Padmanabhapuram. In 1795 A.D, when the capital of Travancore was changed to Thiruvananthapuram, the garrison was also shifted and the idol was installed at its present place at Pazhavangati.The main vazhipadu (offering) of Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapati is the breaking of coconut for removing obstacles and fulfillment of any desire. Ganapathi Homam, Appam, and Modakam are other main offerings to Lord Ganesh.
To enter inside the main complex male devotees need to wear Mundu (Veshti or Dothi or Laacha). Any traditional dress code like Saree, Churidar, Salwar Kameez, or Pavadai Chattai is allowed for ladies.
Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi), Ganesh Jayanthi, Varad Chaturti, and Sankashti Chaturti are the main festivals in Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathy Temple. Special poojas (pujas) are performed for other Hindu festivals including Thiruvonam, Vijaya Dasami, Ayilyam, Sahasra Kalasam, Thirkkarththika, Thirvathira, Makara Vilakku, Maha Shivaratri, Vishu, Thriveda Laksharcchana, and Nira Puththari.
Kottarakara Maha Ganapathy Temple
Kottarakkara was the capital of the famous Ilayidathu swaroopam.The historical evidences collected from here reveals that about seven -palaces- existed there. The land of kottaram’s later became Kottarakkara Besides Manikandeswara Kshethram, owned by the Ilayidathu dynasty is the Kottarakkara kovilakam of which, historical evidences are available from the sixth century of Malayalam era. Kottarakkara kovilakam was the younger thavazhy of the Venad dynasty. So this was known as the Ilayidathu (younger) swaroopam,and also as Kunninmel. The land spreads from Kottarakkara, Pathanapuram and Nedumangad to Shencottah in the east. Chera Udaya Marthandavarma, who ruled Venad during A.D.1383-1444, is supposed to have built the Kovilakam. But,according to the famous historian Sooranad Kunjanpillai, the Kunninmel dynasty has been mentioned in the Mathilakam Books in the year 1345 itself. Kottarakkara is known as a land of temples. The Padinjattinkkara Mahadeva temple,Manikandeswara temple,Kulasekharanalloor Sreekrishna temple,Thrikkannamangal Mahavishnu temple,Neduvathur bhagavathy temple are all famous temples. There are also many places which are believed to be associated with Ramayana. These are Jadayumangalam(Chadayamangalam),Valiyonkunnu (known in connection with Bali),Ugramkunnu (connection with Sugreeva)and also Poredam, which is known as the battlefield of Ravana and Jadayu. The place that we now call Mahaganapathy temple is actually Kizhakkekara Siva Temple. The main deity is none other than Lord Siva himself – Siva facing eastward. In fact Ganapathy is only a minor deity here. But the temple today is famous as a Ganapathy temple rather than a Siva temple.
Oachira Parabrahma Temple
Oachira Parabrahma Temple is located at Ochira on the side of NH47 in Karunagappally Taluk. Dedicated to Parabrahamam attracts a large number of pilgrims, particularly during the festival called Oachirakkali in June-July. The Panthranduvilakku Mahotsavam (November-December) of this temple is also very famous. Ochira is situated 8 km away from Karunagappally. There is no temple in the real sense. Around big trees in vast open area there are exposed small idols.oachira temple Some idols are of female forces attributed to Shakti (power) and the others are of Parabrahmam, the omnipresent. To the right of the idols surrounded trees is an Ayyappa swamy kshetram (temple) constructed similar to Sabarimala temple, and to the left is a mosque.Ochira is also considered an omnipresent Shiva kshetra. The visitors can see the Ochira Kaala. The decorated Ochira bulls symbolize Shiva’s vehicle, the Nandi. There is a famous festival called Ochira kali festival in June. During this festival men dressed as warriors enact mock war standing in the lake. People of various religious faiths visit this omnipresent temple and the legend is that Buddha had once camped here.
Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple
Ambalapzha Sree Krishna temple is in Alleppey district, Kerala. It is about 16 Kms. from Alleppey, the Venice of the East which is interconnected by lot of lagoons, lakes and sea.This temple is known as Dwaraka of the South which was built by Chemagasseri Devanarayanan Thampuran between 15-17th AD.This an important Vaishanava temple in Kerala.
The temple here has Krishna's idol in the form of Parthasarathy which Krishna assumed during the great Mahabharata war. He has a whip in His right hand and a conch in the left .This temple is very much popular like the Guruvayur temple. Here also, the deity is worshipped as child Krishna.The temple also has a shrine for Guruvayurappan and there is a nagathara outside the main shrine.
Legend is that, saint Vilvamangalam, an ardent devotee of Krishna while cruising along the backwaters with the Maharajah of Travancore, heard sweet flute music. Swamy Vilvamangalam could see a bright glow and a form of Balamurali Krishna ( young Krishna with flute) on a Peepul tree . Feeling the God's presence, a temple was constructed in that place.
Ottam thullal, a performing art form was started here by the great artist Kunjan Nambiar. One can still see his mizhavu which is preserved here in an enclosure. The make up and the costume of this art form is unique.
Thunjathu Ezhuthachan, a great poet and scholar is believed to have penned his famous work Adyathtmika Ramanayam kilipattu here which has no parallel till date.
Ambalapuzha palpayasam is very famous (a porridge made of milk ,hand pounded rice and sugar ) and has exceptional sweetness and one can find devotees queuing up for the same.
Chettikulangara Devi Temple
There are many popular tales (Aithihyams) related to the origin of Chettikulangara temple. The most popular one is as follows. Many centuries ago, some local chieftains went to witness the annual festivities at the Koypallikarazhma Bhagavathi temple situated a few kilometers from Chettikulangara. The visitors were humiliated and ridiculed by the Koypallikarazhma temple authorities and the village chieftains there. Perturbed by the humiliation, and out of retribution, they decided to construct a Bhagavathi temple at Chettikulangara. People of Chettikulangara united for this cause, and headed by the Karanavars (Family Heads) of the four to five then leading families of the region decided to seek the blessings of Kodungallur Bhagavathi in this mission. They embarked on a pilgrimage visiting various temples enroute and reached Kodungallur, and performed 12 days long ‘Bhajanam’ to please the Goddeess.
It is said that the Devi gave them ‘Swapna Darshanam’ to say that she would soon come to Chettikulangara. Next day, they happily returned to Chettikulangara with a sacred sword given by the Velichappadu of Kodungallur temple, and started civil works of the temple.
Mannarshala Temple
Mannarshala Temple is one of the mostly visited temples in Kerala. The Mannarshala Temple covers sixteen acres of green dense forest. This temple is also known as Mannarasala Temple. The entire forest area around the temple is devoted to the serpents as they are worshipped here as god. The temple is located in the city of Alappuzha and is only thirty two kilometers away from the city center. Such a location of Mannarshala Temple helps the tourists to enjoy a days outing far from the din and bustle of the city.
The nearest airport from this temple is the Thiruvanantapuram International Airport. The Nedumbassery International Airport is also almost at a same distance. Haripad, Mavelikkara and Kayamkulam are the nearest railway station from Mannarshala Temple.
There are two granite idols of the snake god here in this temple. They are called the “Nagaraja” and the other is his consort called “Sarpayakshini”. The temple has more than thirty thousand images of snake gods and it is the largest snake temple in India. The best time visiting Mannarshala Temple is in September and October when a procession takes place from the temple to the house connected with the temple called “Illam”. The procession is conducted with great pomp and coins and golds are offered to the god. The temple is also a wonderful specimen of the south Indian architecture
Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple
Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is one of the most ancient and prominent Sastha temples in the country. Located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is one of the few Hindu temples in India that is open to all faiths. The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Surrounded by mountains and dense forest Sabarimala is believed to be the place where Ayyappan meditated. Perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala. Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa.
The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad. The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January. Mandala pooja (December12,2011) and Makaravilakku(Jan.15th,2012) are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).
Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non vegetarian food and carnal pleasures. Pilgrims set out in groups under a leader, and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi kettu containing traditional offerings. Unlike certain Hindu temples, Sabarimala temple has no restrictions of caste or creed. The temple is open to males of all age groups and to women who have either passed their fertility age and those before reaching the stage of puberty. The easiest route is via Chalakkayam, by which one can reach the banks of the river Pamba by vehicle. Pamba is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala. From here one has to trek 4 to 5 kms to reach the temple.
Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
Vaikom Mahadeva Temple is one of the most admired Shiva temples in South India. Located at Vaikom Taluk in Kottayam district of Kerala, the Shiva Lingam installed in this temple is supposed to be dating back to ‘Treta Yuga’. Earlier known as Vyaghrapadapuram, the name of place has been converted into Vaikom. The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple makes an influential trio with Ettumanoor Siva Temple, Kaduthuruthy Thaliyil Mahadeva Temple. It is said that visiting all the three temples in a day makes the wishes come true. The priests at the temple come from Kadathanadu in Vadakara Taluk of Kozhikode District and other works are done by Moosad of the East and West families. At the south side of the temple yard, the idol of Panachikkal Bhagavathi is kept to worship. The Sarppa Sanidhya, the God of Snakes, is also worshipped within the temple. Travancore Devaswom Board takes care of the appointments of rest of the employees of Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple.
As per the popular legend associated with the establishment of Vaikom Temple, Kharasura offers prayers to Lord Shiva at Chidambaram. Impressed by his devotion, Lord Shiva presents three holy Shiva Lingams to Kharasura. Assuring him to be present in these Lingams, Shiva suggests Kharasur to worship them to get Moksha (salvation). He moves towards south from Himalayas holding two of the Lingams in each hand and the third one in mouth. He feels tired and stops at Vaikom. Keeping the Shiva lingam on the ground, he rests for a while. After resting, he realizes that it has been affixed at that place. Therefore, he installs the other two Lingams too, one each at Ettumanoor and Kaduthuruthy.
A heavenly voice says ‘I should remain here to offer Moksha to devotees, who require it’. He understands that it is Shiva’s Maya. After getting Moksha, he hands over the supervision of holy Lingams to Maharshi Vyaghrapada and tells him to protect and worship them.
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, is one of the ancient shrines of Kerala. Located in Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, the holy place is charmingly positioned on the left bank of the holy Pampa River. The temple is one of the five ancient temples associated with the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, in Chengannur region of Kerala. The most prominent deity of the temple is ‘Vishwaropa’ of Lord Krishna, who emerges for teaching Arjuna the ‘Holy Geeta’. The temple is a stopover for the holy ornaments of Ayyappan (Thiruvabharanam), which are taken into a procession every year from Pandalam. A golden outfit (Thanka Anki) presented by the king of Travancore to Lord Ayyappan is kept in this temple and taken to Sabarimala in the Mandala season. Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple celebrates a number of festivals every year, which includes Onam, Khandavanadahanam, and Arattu.
A popular legend has been associated with the establishment of Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple. As per the legend, after making Parikshit as the king of Hastinapur, the Pandavas leave for a pilgrimage tour of India. Parikshit was the grandson of Arjuna. In Kerala, each of these brothers establishes a Vishnu temple on the banks of the Pampa or its close proximity. It is said that the temple constructed by Arjuna at Nilackal near Sabarimala is currently known as Sree Parthasarathy Temple. The image was brought here in a raft made of six pieces of bamboo. Therefore, the shrine was named as Aranmula, which literally means ‘six pieces of bamboo’. It is also said that Arjuna built this temple to apologize for the sin of killing armless Karna on the battlefield.
Other legend is also associated with Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple. It is believed that on the ninth day of Kurukshetra, the Kauravas give absolute control of the battle to Bheeshma. At this point of time, Lord Krishna motivates Arjuna to fight with enemies and perform his duties. Due to his hesitation, Krishna jumps down in anger and takes up his Sudarshan Chakra. Seeing this sight, Bheeshma surrenders to him, but Arjuna requests not to kill Bheeshma. Krishna is not supposed to take up the arms during the battle. It is assumed that in the temple that image of Krishna is placed for worshipping. It is also said that Lord Vishnu exposed here the truth behind the formation to Brahma, from whom the Madhukaitapa demons stole the Vedas.
Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple
Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple is located in the heart of Kottayam town at a distance of 1.5km on the Ernakulam- Thiruvananthapuram railway line. The 500year old temple was constructed by Thekkumkoor Maharaja in the Kerala architectural style. The walls of the temple are decorated with colourful paintings and the sanctum santorium with pictures from Hindu epics. Main deity is Siva which is believed to be self originated.
Sub deities are Ganapathy, Ayyappa, Bhagavathy, Rakshas, Subramanya and Vadakkumnathan. Dhara and Chathu-satha are the main offerings here. The temple is opened from 5am to 12 noon in the morning and from 5pm to 8 pm in the evening.
A cultural center ‘Koothambalam’, located within the temple compound, is considered as the best in Kerala. Three festivals are celebrated in the Thirunakkara Mahadeva temple in the month of Thulam (Oct-Nov), Mithunam (June-July) and Meenam (March-April) of which the last one is the most important.
Malliyoor Maha Ganapathy TempleThe Malliyoor Sree MahaGanapathy Temple in Kottayam district, Kerala is the sacred abode of the all - encompassing divine presence of Lord Ganesha and also a coveted destination of lakhs of pilgrims from all over India. The endearing elephant - headed Lord Ganesha, the son of Siva and Parvathy, enjoys prime place among all the gods in the Hindu pantheon. He is Parabrahma incarnate, the God of Wisdom and Learning, the Remover of all Obstacles and is worshipped first, any other god. The Malliyoor Sree MahaGanapathy Temple is in comparable in the conception of the presiding deity as Vaishnava Ganapathy, with a young Sree Krishna seated on the lap of Lord Ganesha. This unique and powerful infusion of the Vaishnava spirit in the Ganesha idol is the supreme achievement of the devoted penance of the much-revered main priest of the temple, Brahmasree Bhagavathahamsam Malliyoor Sankaran Nampoothiri. Today thousand of devotees flock to the feet of Vasihnava Ganapthy at Malliyoor seeking eternal salvation form the bonds of Karama and solace from the evils of Kaliyuga.
Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple
The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, one of the most auspicious places of worship for Hindus; often referred to as "BhoolokaVaikuntam" (the holy abode of Vishnu on Earth) is a located in the town of Guruvayur with around 29 kms northwest to Thrissur Town. The history of the Temple is said to be dates back to ‘Dwaparayuga’ when lord Krishna is supposed to have told his foremost disciple Udhava to reinstall the idol of ‘Lord Vishnu’ which he had installed at Dwaraka. The place was to be chosen by Guru Brahaspathi and Krishna promised Udhava that a true devotee can feel his presence in the idol. Collecting the idol from the submerged Dwaraka Guru Brahaspathi and Vayudeva (God of air), traveled all over India and with the help of Parasuram, located a lake full of lotus flowers in Kerala. The lake was the abode of Lord Siva and Parvathi who moved to Mammiyoor for making place for Vishnu. As Guru and Vayu together installed and founded the temple, the place came to be known as Guruvayupuram. The lord is supposed to have chosen the image of little Krishna (Unnikrishna) at the temple of Guruvayoor. Hence, the temple is also known as Dwaraka of South. According to legend, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. However, there are no historical records to establish it. In 14th century, the Tamil literary work, 'Kokasandesam' references to a place called Kuruvayur are made. As early as the 16th century many references to Kuruvayur are seen. In ancient Dravidic, ‘Kuruvai’ means sea, hence the village on the coast may be called Kuruvayur. The earliest temple records date back to only 17th century. The earliest mention of the many important Vishnu temples of Kerala are found in the songs of the Alwars, whose time-line is not exactly fixed. But with some of the historians the Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. It is believed that the temple was renovated by a Pandya king somewhere around 500 years ago.
In 1766 AD, Hyder Ali of Mysore captured Kozhikkode (Calicut) and then Guruvayur. On the request of the Malabar Governor, Shrinivasa Rao, Hyder Ali granted a Devadaya (free gift) and the temple was saved from extinction. Again in 1789 AD Tippu Sultan invaded Zamorin's province. Apprehending the destruction, the idol was hidden underground and the Utsava vigraha was taken to Ambalapuzha by Mallisseri Namboodiri and Kakkad Othikkan. Tippu destroyed the smaller shrines and set fire to the Temple, but it was saved due to timely rain. Tippu lost to the Zamorin and the English in 1792 AD. The hidden idol and the Utsava vigraha were re-installed on September 17, 1792. But the daily poojas and routines were seriously affected.
Koodalmanikyam Temple
The Koodalmanikyam Bharatha temple is located at a distance of 20 kilometers from Thrissur at Irinjalakuda, in Kerala and is one of the rare temples dedicated to Lord. Rama’s brother Bharatha. Some historians believes that in fact this temple was constructed by Jains for their ‘Theerthankara’ (Prophet) Bharateswara and later the Hindu invasions got the control of the temple and converted it in to a Vaishanava temple. Mythology says that the presiding deity Bharatha is a partial incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu. And that’s why the idol worships here is in the form of ‘Chathurbahu’ Vishnu, having four hands and holds a disc, conch, club and a ‘japa mala’ (beads for meditation). The unique feature of this temple is the usage of flowers like Lotus and Tulsi for worship. Flowers uses in other temples are not used here. The temple is located 8 kilometers from Irinjalakuda railway station. The annual festival of this temple falls on Medam (April-May) and starts from very next day after the Thrissur Pooram. The annual festival is known as Ramanavami. Elephant procession was an attraction during the festival days. Now the Koodalmanikyam Temple officials declared that there wont be any Elephant procession in the following years, because of the last year massacre by an elephant. The temple is one of four in Kerala that form a set called Nalambalam, with each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in the Ramayana epic: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. The sacred act by visiting these 4 temples in a single day is known as Nalabala Darshan. The Kulipini Theertham, a pond in the temple compound is believed to have mysterious powers. Non-Hindus are not permitted in the inner sanctum of the temple. The temple opens from 3.00 am to 11.30 am and from 5.00 pm to 8.15 pm.
Vadakkumnathan Shiva Temple
Vadakkumnathan Temple or Vadakkunnathan Temple is one of the largest and ancient Shiva temples, situated in Thrissur district of Kerala. Also known as Thenkailasam and Vrishabhachalam, the temple stands majestically on an elevated hillock right in the centre of the city. Hindu traditions say that the temple was built by Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the legend creator of Kerala. Thrissur pooram, which is celebrated here every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may), witness millions of devotees from all over the land. The temple and the Mural paintings are declared as a National Monument by the Union Government under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.
Vadakkunnathan temple is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres (36,000 m2). Inside this fortification, there are four gopurams each facing north, south, east and west directions. Apart from these four gopurams, there is a multi-shrined complex in the centre with three principal shrines dedicated to Shiva as Vadakkunnathan, Shankaranarayana and Rama.
Thrissur town gets it name after this ancient Lord Shiva Temple. The real meaning of the name Thrissur is the 'Town with the name of Lord Shiva’.
Chottanikkara Devi Temple
Chottanikkara Devi Temple south east of thrippoonithura 7 kilometers. chottanikkara is an important centre of hindu pilgrimage in Ernakulam district. it is a village 17 kilometers southeast of ernakulam town. the place is famous throughout India for its Bhagavathy temple which attracts multitude of worshippers from different parts of India. Navarathri is celebrated on a grand scale here and art performances are presented on all the nine days.
Special offerings are made here to eradicate evil spirits. Those who are suffering from mental disorder came in large numbers to the temple for worship and special offering. They are completely cured by the grace of the Godess of Chotanikkara. Devi is believed to have such a devine power. self born idol of devi is in Rudraksha Sila.
Besides devi the supreme power, other gods are also worshipped here. in the " Sanctum Sanctorum" of the temple, there are idols of Bramha, Vishnu, Maheswara, Subramanya, Ganapathy and Dharmasastha. The position and status of Dharmasastha here is entirely different from other places. Here he is considered not as " Brahmachari" but as " Grihasta " with two wives. Minor cases of mental disorder are disposed of here before the shrine of Dharmasastha. Temple opens at 4 am. Various offerings are made and will be closed at 12 am. Again temple is opened at 4pm for evening offerings. After initial pujas, there is Deeparadhana ( waving of lamps to the idol as a form of worship) it is a very unique offering here. After the night pujas the temple will be closed at 8 pm.
The annual festival of the temple is in the month of Kumbha ( February - March ). Annual festival is for nine days begining on Rohini asterisk and ending on Uthram Day. So many peculiarities are there in the temple rituals unlike in other temple, here there is "Arattu" ( holy dip of the deity ) on every day. In other temples " Arattu " is only on the last day. Makom day is considered to be extremely auspecious here and thousands and thousands of devotees came to worship with various kinds of offerings. Majority of them are women. Devi gave darsan to vilwamangalam Swamiyar on the Makom day.
Ever somany legends are there regarding the origin of the temple, the rituals and the godess. These legends reveal the miraculous power of Devi, and the ardent faith of devotees in Her. People from all walks of life offer worship here for purity of mind and fulfillment of desires. they are not disappointed.
It is believed that Devi Saraswathy of the famous temple of Mookambika is here in Chottanikkara temple in the morning. In mookambika temple opens for morning offerings only at 7.30 am. the reason is till then devi's presence will be at Chottanikkara. Here the morning pujas begin at 4 am. Devi is worshipped as Saraswathi in the morning, Bhadrakali at noon and Durga in the evening.
It is the most important Temple among the 393 shrines spread over 3 Districts of Kerala and coming under the administration of Cochin Devaswom Board.The Devine Mother known as Rajarajeswari (Adiparasakthi) is worshipped here in three forms Saraswathy in the morning, Lakshmi at noon and Durga in the evening. There is an Idol of Mahavishnu on the same pedestal and so the Deity is calledAmmenarayana, Devinarayana, Lakshminarayanaand Bhadrenarayana also. Apart from the main deity, the temple complex consists of Kizhukkavu Bhagavathy temple, temples for Sastha, Siva, Ganapathi, N agas and other Upa-Devas. Makom Thozhal (worship on the Makom day) is the most important festival of the temple which is celebrated in the month of Kumbham. (Feb I March) It is believed that Bhagavathy in her full attire gave darshan to Vilwamangalam Swamiyar on the Makom day and appears on the same day every year for giving darshan to the devotees in her special appearance.
Thrikkakara VamanaMoorthyTemple
Thrikkakara Temple is one of the few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is situated in Thrikkakara, 2 kilometers east of Idapally near Cochi. The name Thrikkakkara means the holy place where Lord placed His foot. Thiru-kal-kari later became Thrikkakara
The legend is closely linked with the story of Mahabali and Lord Vishnu's Vamana or Trivikrama incarnation. Mahabali was an efficient and popular Asura king. His kingdom stretched the earth, the patala (the underground), and was threatening the skies. The gods (suras) grew worried of Mahabali's rule and popularity. Vishnu, in his avatar as Vamana, asked Mahabali for a piece of land only three paces wide. Bali, ever the generous king, granted this wish, whereupon Vamana grew to an immense size and covered the heavens with one step and the earth with another. There was no space left for Vamana to measure his third pace. "Where is my third foot of space?" asked Vamana. Tricked by this deceit, but as one who would never go back on his promises. Mahabali offered his own head for Vamana to place his third step. These events were happened at this place. As he was pushed down into Suthala, King Bali made a last request. He requested that he be allowed to visit Kerala once in a year to ensure that his people were still happy, well fed and content. Lord Vishnu was pleased to grant Mahabali his wish. Mahabali comes to visit his people and his land during Onam. This is the legend behind the Onam festival. Another legend associated with this temple is that Kapila maharshi did penance here and Vishnu pleased with the rishi’s penance appeared before the rishi. At the behest of the rishi, Vishnu decided to stay in this place.
In pasurams of Nammalvar Thrikkakara is refered as Thirukkaatkarai, Lord Vamana as Sree Kaatkarai Appa Perumal and Thayar (Mahalakahmi) as Perunselva Naayaki or Vaathsalya valli.
The traditional festival of Kerala - Onam historically too related with this temple. The 10 day long annual festival in this temple is held in the month of Chingam (Augest - September). The utsavam begins with kodiyettu on Atham day and ends with arattu on Thiruvonam day. Thiruvonam is the birth day of Lord Vamanamoorthy. Those who could not attend this utsavam celebrated it in their own home by making beatuiful Pookkalams and by offering special nivedyams to Thrikkakkarayappan. This was strictly follwed in every home because it was an order given by the then ruling Cheraman Perumal, the king of Kerala. These celebrations and special offerings to Lord Vamana is now commonly known as Onam. The famous Athachamayam at Tripunithura was a triumphant march of the Maharaja of Kochi, with or without military intent from Tripunithura, the then capital of the Cochin state, to the Vamana Temple at Thrikkakara to attend the kodiyettu ceremony. It is merely a celebration to herald Onam, the festival of peace and equity, remembering the days when everything was in abundance. The Onasadya or the Onam feast will be held on Thiruvonam day in a grand manner in the temple with a large number of people cutting across religious barriers participating in it.
In this temple there are two seperate sreekovils for Lord Vamana and Lord Shiva. Five poojas - Ushapooja, Ethruthapooja, Pantheeradypooja, Uchapooja and Athazhapooja - and three Sheevelis- Ethrutha Sheeveli, Ucha Sheeveli and Athazha Sheeveli are conducted daily. The sub-deities of Vamana temple are Sree Bhagavathi, Sastha, Gopalakrishna, Nagam, Rakshass and Yakshi. The Shivalinga in this temple is believed to be worshiped by Mahabali himself and is situated on the southern side of Vamana shrine. Devotees must visit the Shiva shrine before visiting Vamana shrine. The Shiva temple or Thekkumkara Thevar temple has shrines of Parvathi, Durga, Bhagavathi, Subramanian and Ganapathy. It is interesting to note in this context that though Thrikkakkara Appan or Vamana is worshipped during Onam celebrations, Mathevar or Mahadevar is also worshipped with equal fervour and the reason remains unexplained. The temple pond in the northern side is called Kapila Theertham and is considered holy. Only the temple priests are allowed to enter into this pond compound. The seat of King Mahabali is located infront of the Mahadeva sreekovil.
Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva Temple
Thiruvairanikulam Mahadev Temple is 15 km south of Aluva in Ernakulam District and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The deity faces towards east and there is a separate shrine for his consort, Goddess Parvati.
There is a Nandi facing Lord Shiva in front of the mandapam. An idol of Lord Ganapati is seen facing east in the nearby lawn. Other deities within the temple compound are Lord Ayyappa and Lord Vishnu towards the east and Goddess Satidevi and Goddess Durga to the west.
A unique feature of this temple is that the shrikovil of Devi Parvati's idol is opened only for 12 days in a year, from the Thiruvathira asterism in the month of Dhanu. During this occasion, huge crowds flock from across the states to the shrine. There is a temple well and to the south of it, one can see a cave, where Lord Shiva is believed to have appeared.
The festival time occurs on the Thiruvathira asterism of the Malayalam month of Kumbha (February–March). The eight-day festival also includes Arattu. Another eight-day festival is celebrated during Ashtamirohini. Other festivals celebrated are Pradishta Divasom (day of deity installation), Mandala festival, Vishu, Naga Pradishta and Navaratri.
The temple can be reached from Kaladi by traveling 5 km on Chowara - Kalady road to reach Sreemoolanagaram. From there take a 1.5 km route through Vallam road, and then a deviation to right to Akavoor-Thiruvairanikulam road for another 1.5 km to reach the temple. Frequent buses ply from Aluva, Perumbavoor, Angamaly, Chalakudi and Ernakulum to the temple. The nearest railhead is at Aluva.
Poornathrayeesa Temple
The famous Poornathrayeesa Temple is located at Tripunithura, lying at a distance of about 10 kms to the southeast of Ernakulam. Dotted with a number of temples, Tripunithura is often also referred to as the Land of Temples and the Poornathreyesa Temple is one of them. It is said that the mighty Arjuna, of the legendary Indian epic Mahabharata, built this temple. The deity here is Maha Vishnu, who is reverently also called as Sree Poornathrayeesa. This temple is one of the three famous Vishnu temples in Kerala.
Apart from being a sacred place of worship for the Hindus, Poornathrayeesa Temple is also famous for its annual festivals. The main festival is the Vrishchikoltsawam, which takes place in the month of November/December. Apart from the usual procession of decorated elephants taken out on the fourth day, a golden pot is also kept on a raised platform. It is believed that the person who makes offerings here gets good luck in return.
The other popular festival celebrated here is the Athachamayam. It is held during the harvest festival of Onam and is celebrated with a lively procession and traditional dances like Pulikkali. During the celebration of both these festivals at the Poornathrayeesa Temple of Kerala, thousands of devotees come here. The history of the temple dates back to more than 10 decades ago, when it was almost ruined by a major fire during the early 1900s. The current temple is the revamped one.
Ananathapura Lake Temple
Ananthapura Lake Temple is a Hindu temple located in the middle of a lake in the Kasargod District of Kerala, South India, at around 4 km from Kumbala. This is the only lake temple in Kerala and is believed to be the original seat (Moolasthana) of Ananthapadmanabha Swami (Padmanabhaswamy temple) Thiruvananthapuram. Legend has it that this is the original site where Ananthapadmanabha settled down.
The temple premises are surrounded by lush green imageries. It is the seat of the deity Sri Padamanabha or Lord Vishnu who is shown to be resting on a serpent. After reaching Ananthapura Lake Temple. The temple’s lake is also home to a crocodile, called Babia who is supposed to be living in a nearby lake for the past six decades. This animal is considered a protector of the sacred temple. This single crocodile very well mingles with the human beings and it never harmed anyone. It takes only the sweet rice provided by the priest. The pond has got vareity of fishes. It is believed that there is a single crocodile in the lake and as one dies, its place is taken by another one, though there no other river or ponds near by. Every day after the ucchapooja (noon worship) , Babia is fed with the prasad (a kind of gruel made of rice and jaggery) offered by the devotees to the deity.
According to a legend, once a devotee of Vishnu, Vilvamangalathu was doing penance(regret) for his deeds. Lord appeared before him in the guise of a boy and started disturbing him from his prayers. Enraged by child’s behavior, the devotee pushed him back. After this, the mysterious child disappeared in a cave; the saint realized his mistake. The cave into which Lord Vishnu had gone is still present and is protected by the crocodile since then.
