Thalikkunu Shiva Temple, Kozhikode

Thalikkunu Shiva Temple at Mankave in Kozhikode ranks among the oldest temples in Malabar. It has been attacked many times over its history and is now under the Zamorin of Calicut. It lies about four kilometres from Kozhikode railway station.

The east-facing sanctum is square, and Shiva is worshipped as a linga adorned with a silver crescent, with Nandi on the namaskara mandapam in front. Ganapati and Ayyappa share a shrine in the south-west corner of the inner temple, and Nagaraja is worshipped outside beside a large banyan tree. Entrances open on all four sides, though the east gate is the main one. Maha Shivaratri is the chief festival, with a kazhcha sheeveli procession with an elephant, lamps, niramala, a Maha Ganapati homam, children's cultural programmes and a free lunch for devotees. Renovation is under way, including a new chuttambalam and a stone-paved inner path.