Kottukal Cave Temple - Kerala

Address

Kottukal Cave Temple Anchal – Chunda Rd, Kottukkal, Kerala 691533

Diety

Shiva, Ganesh

Introduction

Kottukkal Cave Temple, also known as Kaltrikkovil in Malayalam, is an existing example of rock cut architecture, built between 6th and 8th centuries CE. It is situated in the village of Kottukkal, near Anchal, Kollam district, Kerala, India. The name Kottukkal (which means Kothiya Kallu- carved rock) is a reference to rock cut shrine. There are two caves of unequal size, both facing the east with the sculpture of the main deity Ganapathy in between. The smaller cave has an idol of Hanuman and the larger one has a monolithic Nandi (bull) in it. Lord Shiva is also a main deity in the temple in the form of a Shiva Ling.

Puranic Significance

According to local traditions, the big rock was brought to the area by the incarnations of Shiva including Nandi to the area, and another small rock near to it called ‘chummaadu para’ is believed to be the support to relieve the pain when the bigger hard rock kept in head. Historians read its origin back to the 7th century AD when ‘Nedila Paranthaka Nedumchadayan’ who ruled Chadayamangalam the nearby place, made the rock cut temple. It is now situated in the centre of a large extent of paddy fields and daily rituals are done under Travancore Devaswom Board. Idols of Lord Nandikeshwara (the vehicle of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology) and a Hanuman idol (resembling the Nandikeswara-Vanara fight in the epic Ramayana) are seen in the caves. The structure, believed to be built between eight and ninth centuries, was took over by the state archaeology department in 1966.