Kottayam Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple – Kerala

Address

Kottayam Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple – Ettumanoor Temple Rd, Ettumanoor, Kottayam district, Kerala 686631

Diety

Ettumanoorappan (Shiva)

Introduction

Ettumanoor Mahadeva 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. The name of the place has its origin from the word manoor, which means “the land of deer.” The temple is one of the major Shiva temples in Kerala, along with Vaikom Temple, Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, Kaduthruthy Mahadeva Temple, Ernakulam Shiva Temple. It is one of the shrines of the Vaippu Sthalams sung by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Sundarar.

Puranic Significance

The history says that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa worshipped the Lord at this temple. The ancient temple was reconstructed in the year 1542 AD. The temple is built in the traditional Kerala style. The walls of the temple is adorned with the Dravidian Mural paintings. On the top is the idol of bull surrounded by small bells and metal leaves of the banyan tree. The present temple building, with its gopuram and the fortress around it, was reconstructed in 1542 AD. There are Dravidian mural paintings on the walls inside and outside of the main entrance. The fresco of Pradosha Nritham (Dance of Shiva) is one of the finest wall paintings in India. There is a golden flagstaff inside the temple topped with an idol of a bull surrounded by small bells and metal banyan tree leaves. In terms of architecture, these temples stand out to be an ultimate testament for the Vishwakarma Sthapathis for their engineering skills. The temple roofs are covered with copper sheets, and it has 14 ornamental tops. Bhagavathi, Sastha, Dakshinamoorthy, Ganapathy and Yakshi are installed here as subordinate deities. There is a separate temple for Lord Krishna. It is believed that the philosopher Adi Sankaracharya wrote ‘Soundarya Lahari’ while staying in the temple. The origin of the name Ettumanoorappan is from Kattampakk, a small village in Kottayam district.

Special Features

According to legend, an Asura called Khara got three Shivalingas from Lord Shiva himself. He took them with him to Kerala, holding one by his teeth and one each in his right and left hand. While the Lingam held by his teeth was consecrated in Kaduthuruthi, the one held in his right hand was consecrated in Vaikom ( Vaikom Mahadeva Temple) and the one held in his left hand was consecrated in Ettumanoor. After consecrating all these 3 divine places in the same day, Khara is believed to have become a deer and started worshiping the Gods. It is believed that the God in Ettumanoor took the deer in his hand and held it there. Because of that, this place was called Udhruthaina Puram, which means Ettumanoor in Malayalam (The place where the deer was lifted).

Festivals

Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple celebrates the grand Aarattu festival on the Thiruvathira day in February-March every year. This festival attracts a large number of devotees. Thulabharam is one of the important rituals performed in this temple.