Udayamperoor Ekadasi Perumthrikovil Temple, Kerala

Address

Udayamperoor Ekadasi Perumthrikovil Temple, Udayamperoor, Thrippunithura, Ernakulam district, Kerala 682301

Deity

Shiva

Introduction

• Location: Udayamperoor, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India.
• Historical Significance: Believed to be over 1000 years old and one of the 108 Shiva temples created by Lord Parasurama.
• Architecture: Classic example of Kerala architectural style featuring monumental towers and a round sanctum sanctorum.
• Size: Covers approximately four acres with a spacious courtyard.
• Accessibility:
  • 2.5 km from Chottanikkara Road Railway Station
  • 14 km from Cochin
  • 32 km from Cochin Airport
  • Located on the Ernakulam to Kumarakom route.

Puranic Significance

• Mythological Background:
  • Lord Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Maha Vishnu, is credited with creating the land between Gokarna and Kanyakumari using his axe.
  • After defeating King Kartavirya Arjuna and other Kshatriyas, he reclaimed the land from the ocean and donated it to Brahmins.
  • He divided the land into 64 villages, with 32 villages in Tulu-speaking areas and 32 in Malayalam-speaking regions.
• 108 Shiva Temples:
  • Legend states that after donating the land, 108 Maha Shiva Lingams and Durga idols were installed in these villages.
  • The 108 Shiva temples are mentioned in the Shivala Stotram, a song written in Malayalam.
  • Of these, 105 temples are in Kerala, 2 in Karnataka, and 1 in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.
• Protectors of Kerala:
  • Lord Shiva of Gokarnam Mahabaleswara Temple in the north and Goddess Kumari of Kanyakumari Temple in the south are considered protectors of the region.
• Notable Temples:
  • The first temple created by Parasurama was the Thrissur Vadakkunnathan Temple, and the last was the Thrikkariyoor Mahadeva Temple.

Special Features

• Architectural Style: A classic representation of Kerala’s architectural style, featuring:
  • A prominent entrance tower.
  • A round sanctum housing the presiding deity.
  • Mukha Mandapa designed in Kerala Dravidian architecture.
• Additional Shrines: The temple complex includes shrines for:
  • Ganapathy
  • Parvathy
  • Subramaniyan
  • Sastha
  • Krishna
  • Yakshi
  • Dakshinamoorthy

Festivals

• Major Festivals Celebrated:
  • All Shiva-related festivals, especially Masi Magam, are celebrated with great enthusiasm and fanfare.

Century/Period/Age

1000 Years old

Managed By

Department of Archaeology – Kerala

Nearest Bus Station

Udayamperoor

Nearest Railway Station

Ernakulam Junction

Nearest Airport

Cochin

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