Thrikkadavoor Mahadeva Temple

Thrikkadavoor Sree Mahadeva Temple, in Thrikkadavoor, Kollam district, belongs to Kerala's 108 Shiva temples. It has a golden flagstaff and is run by the Travancore Devaswom Board. Temple tradition places here the story of Markandeya: granted to the sage Mrikandu as a gifted son fated to live only sixteen years, the boy was worshipping a linga on his last day when Yama's noose fell around it instead, and Shiva burst out, struck down Yama and spared Markandeya's life. A metal image of Shiva conquering death is venerated in the temple, which also links Markandeya with the Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra.

Ayyappan, Ganesha, Nagaraja and others are worshipped as subsidiary deities, and Krishna has a shrine outside the sanctum. The ten-day Srattu festival in Kumbham (February–March) brings the Thiruvathira Aaratu, eight horse-shaped chariots for the eight local karas and the nedumkuthira, a towering horse figure that men bear through water. The temple elephant, Thrikkadavoor Sivaraju, received the Gajarajarathna title in 2023.