Spiritual PlaceHindu temple

Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple

Shiva temple in Kottayam built by a Thekkumkur ruler, with a ten-day festival and elephant procession

Photo: Vis M · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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01 — The story

Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple is a Shiva temple in Kottayam, numbered among the 108 sacred Shivalayas of Kerala. It is believed to have been built around the 16th century by a Maharaja of Thekkumkur, and the temple complex covers about four acres.

Its annual festival runs for ten days and closes with the aarattu, when the deity's image is ritually immersed in a river or temple tank. The festival includes a procession of nine decorated elephants.

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02 — About

Coming soon

We’re still writing about Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.