Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple is an ancient Shiva temple in Kottayam, Kerala, India.Temple tradition has it that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa had worshipped at this temple.
Vaippu Sthalam
It is one of the shrines of the Vaippu Sthalams sung by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Sundarar.
Festival
Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple hosts the arattu festival, celebrated on a grand scale on the Thiruvathira day in February–March each year. Many people come to the temple on the 8th and 10th day of the festival, when seven and a half elephants (in Malayalam: ezharaponnaana) made of gold (nearly 13 Kgms) will be held in public view. This statue was donated to the temple by a travancore maharaja. The temple, one of the wealthiest Devaswoms in Kerala, has many valuable possessions.
The Thulabharam is one of the important rituals of this temple. People make offerings to God for favors received. On balance, the child or man for whom offerings were promised to God, is weighed against offerings ranging from gold to fruits.
Ezharaponnana
Ezhara Ponnana refers to the seven-large sized and one small sized-golden elephant (that is called Ezharaponnana), all of which are kept in the temple vault and taken out once a year for darshan by the devotees. Of the eight statuettes, seven have a height of two ft., and the eighth one is half that size, hence the name Ezhara (seven-and- a- half) Ponnana (Golden elephants).
The Ezhara Ponnana Darshan is one of the high points of the temple festival, held at midnight on the eighth day of the ten-day festival. Ezhara Ponnana Darshan begins with the ceremonial procession of the eight golden elephant statuettes. They are later kept at the Asthana Mandapam for the annual darshan by the devotees.
Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple is located between Ernakulam district and Kottayam district. It is 54 km from Ernakulam and 12kKm from Kottayam. The nearest towns to the temple are Kidangoor, Pala, and Kaduthuruty.
Contact Address: Ettumanoor Temple Rd, Ettumanoor, Kerala 686631
