Ponmeri Shiva Temple, Vatakara

Ponmeri Shiva Temple near Vatakara in Kozhikode district is dedicated to Shiva, fondly called Thiyyannur Appan. It was commissioned in the 11th century by the Kadathanad kings and built by the famed architect Perumthachan. Its sanctum holds a large linga with a gold-plated covering.

Legend says that after a quarrel with the ruler the architect left the temple unfinished, and that its work can never be completed; a Malayalam proverb speaks of something being 'as incomplete as the work at Ponmeri', and improvements to the exterior still go on. The temple is known for having all three of the Trimurti, with a rare sub-shrine to Brahma beside those to Shiva and Vishnu, along with Ganapati, Bhagavathi, Shankaranarayana, Surya, Ayyappa, Murugan and Krishna.