The temples of Kerala are significant not only for their religious importance but are equally significant for their architecture. Some of the temples in Kerala are huge and richly decorated while others are small with simple décor and outlay. Whatever the size or scale, the temples of Kerala reflect the religious temperament of the local populace. On your Kerala temple tours, you will come to know about the devotion and religious belief of the people. For people with religious bent of mind, the Kerala temples tour is bound to create a lasting impression.
Most popular temples in Kerala
Kerala is a land of temples; perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala, high up in the Sahyadri Mountains (Western Ghats). Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa. The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad.
Guruvayoor also known as the Dwaraka of the South is the one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage spots in Kerala, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the country.
Guruvayoor, the abode of Lord Sree Guruvayurappan, is located 29 kms north west to the cultural capital of the 'God's own country', Kerala. This narrow coastline strip of land on the south western edge of Indian subcontinent is one of the 10 paradises in the world. The geographical and bio diversity of Kerala with the coastline beaches and stretches of backwaters lined with the swaying coconut palms on one side and evergreen forests of the Western Ghats with very rich wildlife on the other side makes it a real paradise to the alien traveler.
The idol of the Sri Krishna Temple is said to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma himself at Dwaraka and gifted to Vishnu in his Krishnavataram. After Lord Krishna left this earth for his heavenly abode, and the holy city of Dwaraka was to be submerged, 'Guru', the preceptor of the Devas and 'Vayu', Lord of the winds were entrusted with the job of finding an equally holy spot for the idol. At the end of a long quest for an appropriate site they entered Kerala and met Parasurama, legendary creator of Kerala.
Padmanabha swamy temple:
Sri Padmanabha swamy temple of Kerala is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the Gods of the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. The massive idol of the deity measures 18 feet in length and is covered with gold and other precious stones.. The temple is made beautifully with an amalgamation of Hindu and Kerala architecture. The temple is spread over a vast area and is an important worship of Hindus in Kerala. The temple is quite strict and allows entry only to Hindus.
The temple is famous for its Arattu festival, which is till date headed by the royal family of Travancore. The procession is worth seeing as it is a grand spectacle of beautifully decorated elephants and musicians chanting Lord's name. The whole temple is beautifully decorated and the city of Trivandrum comes alive during the temple procession. People from all over come here to take part and cheer during the festival. Grand feasts are prepared in the temple and the food never seems to go out of stock. It is a beautiful temple and should be visited if you happen to travel to Trivandrum.
Vadakkum nathan temple:
The beautiful city of Thrissur (originally called as Trichur), is one of the oldest in Kerala State and is mainly famous for its ancient Shiva temple dedicated to Vadakkunathan, which is situated on an elevated hillock right in the centre of the city. The temple attracts thousands of devotee’s and visitors from all over the land. Like many South Indian Temples, it has a solemn atmosphere, associated with age and centuries of devotion, which we do not find in many of the temples of North India.
The temple of Vadakkunathan is noted for its grand annual Pooram festival in Medam (April-May) which attracts a large number of visitors and tourists from far and wide. A procession fo richly caparisoned elephants and magnificent display of fireworks mark the occasion. The organizers vie among themselves in securing the best elephants in the locality, and the most ornamental parasols to decorate the elephants. Commencing early in the morning, the celebrations go on throughout the night and end the next morning.