Alathiyur Hanuman Temple

The Alathiyur Hanuman Temple, also called Alathiyur Perumthrikkovil or Hanuman Kavu, lies at Alathiyur near Tirur in Malappuram district, between the Ponnani River and the Bharathappuzha. Rama is the main deity, but Hanuman is just as famous here. Legend says sage Vasishtha consecrated the Hanuman image, and the temple has been in the care of the village's Nambudiri clan, then the Vettathunad king and later the Samuthiri of Kozhikode; today a trust of the Malabar Devaswom Board manages it, with the Samuthiri family as chief trustee.

Rama is believed to have briefed Hanuman here before he set off to Lanka to find Sita. Hanuman's image stands beside Rama's, leaning forward with a stick in hand as if listening, while Lakshmana's shrine is set a few metres away. A raised strip marks Hanuman's leap to Lanka, and devotees run along it and jump over a black stone representing the sea. Aval is the main offering, and the yearly festival falls in Thulam.