Karppillikkavu Sree Mahadeva Temple

Karppillikkavu Sree Mahadeva Temple stands in Manjapra village, Ernakulam district, and is dedicated to Shiva as Kirata, the hunter, also called Vettakkaran. Unusually, the deity faces west. Legend says the shrine was once Parvati's, but when Kartavirya Arjuna came for her darshan and found her presence gone, he installed Shiva instead and stayed in a cave he made on the north side, meditating on Shiva. A later astrological enquiry concluded that a tunnel links the temple's well and pond and runs some 30 km east.

The eight-day festival ends with the Aarattu on Thiruvathira in Makaram and is held with the help of Hindus, Christians and Muslims, who treat it as a festival for the whole locality. On the seventh day the idol is carried through Manjapra town with seven elephants and panchavadyam and chenda melam. Pradosham days, Sivarathri, Vidyarambham and the Mandala season are also important here.