Avittathur Mahadeva Temple

Avittathur Mahadeva Temple stands in Avittathur village, Thrissur district, one of the 64 original Brahmin settlements of ancient Kerala. Said to be more than 2,000 years old, it is one of the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala; tradition holds that Parashurama installed the linga and the sage Agastya built the temple and set its rituals. It was long owned by 28 Brahmin families of the village. The Archaeological Survey of India protects it as a national monument.

The square-walled compound covers 3.25 acres, with Shiva facing west in a round, two-storey sanctum roofed with copper. The nalambalam is majestic, the anakottil on the west rests on huge pillars, and the great balikkal by the inner entrance is large enough to block a direct view of the sanctum. An inscription of AD 1024, from the reign of the Chera king Ravi Kota Rajasimha, records paddy fields given for the temple's daily expenses, and four more old inscriptions have been found in the compound.