Spiritual PlaceHindu temple

Aluva Mahadeva Temple

Shiva shrine on the Periyar sandbanks at Aluva, where the linga stands in the open, famed for Sivarathri

Photo: Ranjithsiji · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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01 — The story

The Aluva Mahadeva Temple stands on the Aluva Manappuram, the sandbanks of the Periyar River in suburban Kochi. It is one of the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala, and tradition says the sage Parashurama installed its image, which faces east.

What sets it apart is that the Shiva linga is not housed in a closed sanctum. Instead it rises directly from the river sand. The temple is best known for the Aluva Sivarathri festival, when large numbers of devotees gather on the sandbanks along the Periyar.

Unmapia

02 — About

Coming soon

We’re still writing about Aluva Mahadeva Temple: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.