Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple is one of the 108 revered Shivalayas in central Kerala, India. The temple is about 500 years old and was built by the Thekkumkoor raja.
Thirunakkara Temple preserves a number of unique sculptures and murals of various Hindu deities. A common belief is that the idol of Shiva here is installed by sage Parashurama himself. The Thekkukkoor royal family considered the idol as their paradevatha (tutelary deity) in the form of "Thirunakkara thevar".
Story behind Brahmarakshas
There is an interesting story behind the Brahma Rakshas. One person called Moose was a great friend of the king. The king was not known for his beauty but his friend Moose was very handsome. The queen fell in love with this friend knowing which the king ordered his servants to kill Moose. Instead of killing him, the King’s servants killed the junior priest of the temple (keezh santhi). The wife of the priest became a Brahma Rakshas and started seeking revenge. So the king built a temple for her. For a long time afterwards, women do not prefer to enter this temple.
Temple Architecture
The two storeyed square shaped sreekovil of temple is very attractive and it is adorned by a golden Finial. The sreekovil includes three separate rooms, one in the west is Garbhagriha which has the Shiva linga idol installed. An idol of Parvathi devi made up of Panchaloha is also installed next to it. This complex has a number of murals depicting the stories of Shiva and Dashavathara. Full circumambulation of the temple is not allowed because it is a Shiva shrine. It is said that Lord Shiva resides in his most peaceful form here, which is considered to be the reason for the prosperity of Kottayam.
Major Festivals
The temple hosts an annual ten-day festival ending with the aaraattu ritual of dipping an idol of a deity into a river or temple tank, which includes a procession of nine decorated elephants. The festival is a celebration of Shiva's wedding to Parvati and is dedicated to Shiva.During the festival, traditional Keralan dances such as Mayilattom and Velakali are performed within the temple premises in the evening. Another major attraction is the Kathakali performances during the festival.
Temple Timings
Morning Darshan Timings: 4:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Evening Timings: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
