Ettumanoor Siva Temple Kochi
Ettumanoor Siva Temple is at a distance of 12 km from Kottayam and
here Siva is worshipped as its deity. The word Ethhumanoor is taken from
the word Manoor which means place of deer.
The
temple was constructed somewhere in the 16th century and as per the
story Pandavas as well as the Vyasa had prayed here. This temple also
worships Bhagavati,Sastha, Ganapathy and Dakshinamurthy as its other
deities.
Architecture of Ettumanoor Siva Temple Kochi
Ettumannor
temple has a traditional Kerala-style architecture with gopuram and
fortresses surrounding it. The slanting roofs are made of copper sheets
and you can spot a golden flag post within the premises of the temple.
Some
of the paintings include the Pradosha Nritham and the mural painting
dating back to the Dravidian Era. Another highlight is the idol of a
bull which is enclosed by bells and metallic leaves. Stories also say
that Adi Sankaracharya had written the famous poetry 'Soundarya Lahari'
from this very temple.
Festival Celebration in Ettumanoor Siva Temple Kochi
Aarattu
festival is celebrated with great festive spirit and it is held in
months of February as well as March. A procession of statue seven and
half elephants made entirely of gold will be displayed to the
people.This is was once given by the Maharaja of Travancore and it
nearly weighs 13 kgs.
As compared to all the
valuables donated to Devasoms this stands to be the most expensive one.
Even Tulabahram is a common ritual conducted here. As per this tradition
the devotees are balanced and weighted on a weighing scale with gold or
fruits.
How to Reach Ettumanoor Siva Temple Kochi
The Ernakulum
South Junction Railway station is located at a distance of 21 km from
the Ettumanoor Siva Temple. Initially you need to catch up on the
Carrier Station road which is in the west side of the station.Next make a
left turn at the South Junction and move onto the Chittor road.
Make
a left turn onto the Valanjambalam junction and head towards the
Ettumanoor - Ernakulam Road.Next move right to reach the Kochi –
Dhanushkodi road. Making a small left turn onto Kochi - Dhanushkodi you
will pass the ATM of HDFC bank.
Here you will
move towards the left in the Mini Bypass Junction and head on to the
Mini Bypass Road.Make a right turn on the Hospital Road and stay on the
Mini Bypass Road. Next make a right turn at the Kannankulangara Junction
and move on to the Ettumanoor – Ernakulam road.
Now
make a right turn at the Kanayannur Co-Operative Agriculture Rural
Development Bank and on the right you will spot the Ettumanoor Siva
Temple.