The Sabarimala Sree Ayyappan Temple is a Hindu temple that is devoted to the worship of a deity named Ayyappan, also known as Dharma Shasta. Ayyappan is believed to be the son of Shiva and Mohini. The temple is situated atop a hill in the village of Ranni-Perunad, within the Ranni Taluk of the Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with an estimate of over 10 to 15 million devotees visiting every year.
The Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a form of Vishnu, but popularly known as Krishna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikuntha. The temple is Classified one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition.
The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Vishnu, in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred abodes of Vishnu in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. It is widely considered as the world's richest Hindu temple. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Malayalam and Tamil translates to "The City of Ananta". The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Kerala style and the Dravidian style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century gopuram. While as per some traditions the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla in Kasaragod district in Kerala is considered as the original spiritual seat of the deity ("mulasthanam"), architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.
Punarjani Guha is a 150-metre natural tunnel in a rocky cliff situated in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur District of Kerala state in southern India. It is located around 2 km southeast of Vilwadrinatha Temple.
The Nambudiri, also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Namboothiri and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal elite. Headed by the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ, the Nambudiris are the highest ranking caste in Kerala. They owned a large portion of the land in the region of Malabar, and together with the Nair monarchs, the Nambudiris formed the landed aristocracy known as the Jenmimar, until the Kerala Land Reforms starting in 1957.
Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swamy temple, popularly known as Kasi Viswanathaswamy Temple or locally as kundukovil is a famous Hindu temple located in the Kalpathy village of Palakkad in Kerala, India. It is the site of the annual Kalpathi Ratholsavam which is one of the most famous temple festivals of Kerala. This ancient temple nestles by the banks of the serene Kalpathy river. Dedicate to Lord Siva and his consort Visalakshi, it dates back to early fifteenth century. The similarity to the Varanasi Kashi Viswanatha temple on the banks of Ganges is responsible for the moniker kasiyil pakuthi kalpathy and the name Dakshina Kashi associated with this temple. The Temple is surrounded by the four Tamil Brahmin agraharams or traditional villages: New Kalpathy, Old Kalpathy, Chathapuram and Govindarajapuram.
The Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple is a Hindu temple located near Aranmula, a village in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, South India. It is dedicated to the God Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, who is worshipped as Parthasarathy. Constructed in the Kerala style of architecture, it is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the Alvar saints.
Kerala Iyers, Pattars or Bhattars, are Tamil Brahmins of the Indian state of Kerala — people who were residents in the Kerala region, and also people who migrated from present day Tamil Nadu in different waves from the time of the Chera dynasty. They are Hindus. The community consists of two groups - the Palakkad Iyers and Iyers of the Cochin and Travancore regions.
The Vilwadrinatha Temple is a Hindu temple in Thiruvilwamala, a town in the city of Thrissur, Kerala, India. The principal deities are Rama, the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu, and his brother, Lakshmana. This is one of the four major Rama temples in Kerala—the other three are in Thriprayar, Kadavallur, and Thiruvangad. The temple houses an idol of Lakshmana, which is rare in India.
Thirupuraikkal Temple is a Hindu temple at Moothanthara in Palakkad town, in the Indian state of Kerala. It is also known as the Karnaki Amman Temple.
The Sreevallabha Temple is a highly orthodox Hindu temple dedicated to Sreevallabha, a form of Vishnu. It is one of the oldest and largest Temples of Kerala, and has been a major destination for devotees in India for centuries. Located in Thiruvalla, it is well known for its architectural grandeur and unique customs, which are unique to the temple. There are stone-wooden carvings and mural paintings inside the temple. Being one among 108 Divya Desams, Sreevallabha temple has been glorified by Alvars and many other ancient works. It is considered to be the vallabha kshethram mentioned in Garuda Purana and Matsya Purana. Kathakali is played daily in the temple as an offering, pushing it to the top in India in terms of places where Kathakali is staged on the largest number of days per year. Vishnu appeared here as Sreevallabha for sage Durvasa and Khandakarnan. Pleased by the prayers of an old Brahmin lady Sreevallabha incarnated as a Brahmachari and killed the demon Thokalaasuran. Later the deity of Sreevallabha worshipped by Lakshmi and Krishna was installed in the temple in 59 BC. From then till date, the temple follows its worship protocol that is known to be followed nowhere else yet. Sage Durvasa and Saptarishiare said to reach the temple every midnight for worshipping the Lord. The temple governed one of the biggest educational institutions in ancient times and heavily contributed to the cultural and educational developments of Kerala
Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Temple is an ancient temple near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. This temple has two Sreekovils. Both Sreekovils are round (vatta). It is an age old temple whispering several fascinating legendary fables of the bygone eras.
Perunna Subrahmanya Swami Temple is a Hindu temple located at Perunna neighbourhood in Changanacherry. The deity of the temple is Subrahmanya Swami (Kartikeya), one of the three sons of Lord Shiva. This temple is famous for its 'Pallivetta' utsav.
Sri Venkataramana Temple, Karkala, also known as Padutirupathi, is a temple in Karnataka, India. It was built by Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Karkala and was installed on 25 April 1537.
Panekavu Bhagavati Shastha Temple is a temple in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam District, Kerala. The place where the temple stands has been considered holy, as this place was the hot spot for performing all rituals and poojas under the able management of a single person by the name "Chakyar". Over time, the sacred land was inherited by family members, generations after generations, but eventually had to be sold to an industrial company.
Nambidi is a caste of Kerala, India. The form a part of the Brahmin community. They are considered to be Malayali Brahmins and to have originated when a section of the Nambudiris was degraded. They also have the same rights and rituals of nambudiri's. The nambidi ladies are usually called Mandals / Atholammas used to wear the cheruthalis and are similar to Antharjanams. The nambidi's also had great economic and Societic importance and have the same grade of Nambudiris in the Society. They have no right to do Poojas in temples. Nambidis are divided into two: the ones who wear the sacred thread and perform the Upanayanam and the ones who do not. The former are Nambudiris who were degraded to the Brahmins status since their ancestors had committed a heinous act by murdering a ruler of Kerala. On their return the other Nambudiris welcomed them but they refused to seat themselves with the other Brahmins owing to the sin they committed and instead sat on the steps of the hall. They came to be known as Nom Padimels or those on the steps and this term was later corrupted into Nambidi. The latter are Nairs who were assigned the Nambidi title. Namboodiris will Join with nambidi's in all their functions and rituals.
Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple is a Hindu temple located in Vazhappally near Changanassery in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board. The temple is believed to be constructed by the first Chera king of Kodungallur. The legends suggest that the installation of the idol of god Mahadeva (Shiva) was performed by Parasurama himself. This temple is one among the 108 Shiva temples established by Parasurama. It is one of the few temples in Kerala where two nalambalams and two flag-masts are dedicated. The temple, a Grama Kshetra, also contains some seventeenth century wood carvings depicting figurines from epics. A Vattezhuttu inscription on the northern part of the base of the cultural shrine indicates that the repairs were completed in Kollam Era 840 (1665 AD).
Rahul Easwar is an Indian public policy commentator and activist from Kerala.
Pathinettampadi are the 18 divine steps to the 'Thirumuttam' of famed Sabarimala temple in Kerala state of India. These steps have a length of 5 feet, width of 9 inches and height of 9 inches. Earlier, these steps were made out of granite and later in 1985, it was covered by 'Panchaloha', a composition of five metals such as gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. One who undertakes Sabarimala pilgrimage must mark his foots over these steps by carrying an 'irumudikettu' and undergoing a vratam (penance) of 41 days. The pilgrims who climbed the Pathinettampadi for 18 times needs to plant a young coconut tree at Sannidhanam and thereby becomes a 'Guruswami'. In the past, devotees used to break coconuts on these steps which was later restricted and replaced.
