Sree Kunninmathilakam Mahadeva Temple, Cheruthazham

Sree Kunninmathilakam Mahadeva Temple, once called Sree Kunninmathilakam Shiva Temple, stands at Cheruthazham in Kannur district, Kerala. Its Shiva, known as Sree Kunninmathilakathappan, takes three forms through the day: Dakshinamoorthy in the morning, Kirathamoorthy at noon and Umamaheshwara in the evening.

Local tradition ties the temple to the Ramayana. Anjaneya, sent by Rama to bring a Shiva image for Rameswaram, is said to have installed part of it during his journey, only to arrive and find that Rama had already consecrated a clay image. In the Kali Yuga, around six Brahmin families are said to have built the main sanctum. The temple was later damaged, reportedly through neglect and invasions. The trustees' families and devotees began restoring it in the 1980s, and after an astrological consultation in March 2011 a committee took up work on the sanctum, the Namaskara Mandapam, the nalambalam, the shrines of Vigneshar and Subrahmanya, and the Saraswathi Mandapa.