Kerala - Mahadeva Temple Kaviyoor

Lord Mahadeva (Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvathi), represented in the 'Shivalinga' is the main deity of this temple. The Shivalinga is about three feet high and is carved out of a rock which is enshrined in a square cave. The temple is also famous for the Hanuman temple which is situated inside the temple complex and is traditionally known as the most prominent Hanuman temple in South India. The architecture of the Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple resembles the Pallava style of architecture. The engravings of this temple feature the earliest specimens of stone sculptures in Kerala. The temple premises is also embellished with the idols of Ganapathy, Maharshi and Dwarapalakas.

History

Mahadeva Temple in Kaviyoor is also popular as Hanuman Temple. According to the legends, the main idol of this temple was installed by Lord Sri Rama on his return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, in the presence of Sita, Hanuman, Sugriva and Vibheeshana. Lord Sri Rama initiated Hanuman to bring a divine Sivalinga from the Himalayas. Hanuman went to the Himalayas in search of a unique Sivalinga and took some time for that purpose. As the auspicious time for prathishta arrived, Lord Sri Rama decided to do the Prathishta at once. He moulded a Sivalinga using the earth form that place and consecrated it. When Hanuman returned from the Himalayas, he became very sad seeing the prathishta was already done. So, Rama told Hanuman to remove the prathishta that was made with the earth and install the Divyalinga he brought in its place. Hanuman tried his maximum to remove the newly moulded earthern Linga, but it remained as such. Instead, to everyone's surprise, the land surrounding the earthern linga moved up to form a small hillock. So Hanuman prayed pardon and requested Lord Rama to permit him to stay near the Divya Prathishta done by him forever. Hence, Kaviyoor became Hanuman's place. And the Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple is traditionally known as the most prominent Hanuman temple in South India.

Specialty

• Mahadeva Temple in Kaviyoor is built in Pallava architectural style and it is triangular in shape.
• The sculptures in the temple were made in the 17th century which depict stories from the great Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana.
• There is a square shaped cave in the temple where Lord Shiva is enshrined. There is a  Shiva Lingam, carved out of a single rock inside the cave which is 3 feet high.
• Lord Ganapati, Lord Hanuman, Sreemoola Rajeswari (Goddess Parvati) and Maharshi are the sub-deities of this temple.
• Dakshinamoorthy,  an idol of Lord Shiva along with Lord Ganapati is another deity of this temple. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Krishna at this temple.
• Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple houses the sculptures of Dwarpalakas, the temple guards.
• This Temple is also well-known for its wooden sculptures, known as Daarusilpas in the local language. These carvings date back to the 17th century, depict Kerala architecture. The outer wall of Sreekovil, the inner roof of Balickalpura and Namaskara Mandapam are adorned with these wooden sculptures.
• The Sreekovil of this temple is round in shape which represents the Sandhara construction style.
• The Sanctum roof of the temple is made of copper. The temple has a golden flag and there are 18 entry steps to the shrine.
• Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple also has expensive ornaments like golden pots, ezhunnallippu chatams, golden reliefs of deities, golden umbrellas and golden chains.

Festivals

Thiruvutsavam: Thiruvutsavam is the major celebration of the Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple which is celebrated on the Danu month as per the Malayalam calendar which falls between the months of December and January. These 10-day celebrations start with a unique ritual known as Thiruvaathira. Utsavabali, Seva, Pallivetta are the other highlights of this festival.

Shivaratri: Shivarathri is a single day festival that is celebrated every year, either in February or in March. Vilakkezhunnellippu is the major highlight of this festival in which 8000 oil lamps are lit by the devotees from 8 Desam. During this festival time, the devotees undergo fasting for the day and worship Lord Shiva at four phases.

Sahasra Kalasam: Sahasra Kalasam is a 10-day festival. Abhishekam is the main custom of this festival. Abhishekam is done by the devotees with 100 pots, in which one is a gold pot, 10 silver pots and the rest are copper pots.

Timings

Dress Code:

Devotees must follow a strict dress code while visiting the Mahadeva Temple Kaviyoor. Traditional clothes are most preferable for both men and women while visiting the temple. Before entering the temple premises, men need to open their shirts.

Way To Reach:

 By Air -  Cochin International Airport and Trivandrum International Airport are the nearest airports to Mahadeva Temple Kaviyoor which are at a distance of 112 Km and 128.3 Km respectively. On reaching the airport, one can hire a taxi or bus to reach the temple.

 By Rail - Thiruvalla Railway Station and Chengannur Railway Station are the nearest railway stations to Mahadeva Temple Kaviyoor which are at a distance of 5.5 Km and 12.2 Km respectively. On reaching the railway station, one can hire a taxi or bus to reach the temple.

 By Road -  Kaviyoor is well-connected to major cities via road. Direct buses run from Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta, Kottangal, Ranni, Thiruvalla, Thottabhagom, Mallappally to Kaviyoor.