Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple
Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple is located 1.7 kilometers from Mitchell Junction, Mavelikara. It is one of the 108 great Shiva temples of ancient Kerala consecrated by Lord Parashurama himself. Legend has it that Lord Parasurama renovated the temple and gave the Tanthrik (Hindu spiritual practice based on religious and mystical texts devoted to goddess worship and Shakti [divine feminine energy]) rights to the Tharananallur family. It is popularly known as "Dakshina Kashi."
There are different legends associated with the temple. One legend states that Rishi Mrikandu, the father of Rishi Markandeya, got an idol of Lord Shiva in Kirathamoorthy form while bathing in the Ganges. He heard an oracle that the idol be placed in a holy and befitting place. The Rishi searching for the apt location came to Kerala and ended up on the bank of Achankovil, where he established the temple in Kandiyoor. The name Kandiyoor is derived from Kandathil Nalla Uru (most beautiful place ever seen). In due course, Kathil nalla uru became Kanda uru, finally getting its current name Kandiyoor. Another story about the temple says that the temple is located at the site where Shiva cut off Brahma's head. Sri Kandiyoor derives its name from this story, which gave Shiva the name Sri Kantan.
Kandiyoor and the temple have great significance in Kerala's history. The Kandiyoor temple is the earliest temple about which there is an epigraph about its origin in AD 823 during the reign of Rajasekhara Varman. There was an era named 'Kandiyoorabdam' from the formation of the temple that was in widespread use until the introduction of Kollavarsham.
It is also believed that the temple was once a Hinayana Buddhist temple. The Kandiyoor (Kannankara Panicker family) believe that it is this displaced Shiva that was retrieved from the nearby paddy fields and placed near the Mavelikkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple (Buddha Junction) in recent times.
The Kandiyoor inscription (K. E. 393) dated 1218 says that Kandiyoor temple was reconstructed by Rama Kotha Varma of Odanad and the Kalasam ceremony was attended by Devadicci Unni, wife of Ravi Kerala Varma King of Venad after deliberations between the three. The temple is mentioned in Unnuneeli Sandesam written around the 14th century.
The primary deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, known as Kandiyoorappan (the ruling deity of Kandiyoor). The deity is east-facing, and the sanctum sanctorum is two-tiered with a platform in front for devotees, a feature of the Hoysala style. The bottom tier is oval in shape while the top tier is rectangular. The 10 feet (3.0 m) Gajaprishta style wall is believed to have been constructed by Shiva's Bhothaganas. There are Puranic legend stone scriptures in the temple.
The primary deity, Kandiyoorappan, is believed to be in Kirathamoorthy form. The deity is worshipped as Dakshinamoorthy (Lord Shiva as a guru) in the morning, Umamaheshwaran (Lord Shiva as the consort of Goddess Parvathy) in the noon, and Kirathamoorthy (Lord Shiva as a hunter) in the evening.
Location
Mavelikara
Main Deity
Lord Siva
Other Deities
Vishnu, Parvatheesan, Nagaraja and Nagayakshi, Gosala Krishnan, Sastha, Sankaran, Sreekandan, Vadakkumnathan, Annapoomeswary, Ganapathy, Subramanyan, Moola Ganapathy and Brahma Rakshas of which Sankara, Sreekanda, Vadakkumnadha, Parvatheesa and Mrityunjayaare Shiva himself.
Festivals
The annual temple festival at Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple near Mavelikara (Alleppey District), Kerala, is observed in the Dhanu month as per traditional Malayalam calendar followed in Kerala. The annual festival begins ten days before the Thiruvathira nakshatra in Dhanu month. The festival ends on Thiruvathira nakshatra. The annual festival begins with Kodiyettam or the flag hoisting ceremony. The shrine is traditionally decorated with plantain, coconut leaves, flowers, traditional lamps and lights. Special poojas and offerings are made during the festival period and Annadanam is also organized. Pallivetta is a significant event of the festival and it attracts hundreds of devotees. Caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheeveli are part of the festival. The festival ends with Arattu. The utsava murti of the deity is taken out of the shrine for ritualistic bathing on the final day.
Main Offerings
Jaladhara, Rudrabhishekam, Ksheera Dhara, Ganapathy Homam, Bhagavathy Seva, Karuka Homam, Nirapara, Swayamvararchana, Shangabhishekam, Rektha Pushpanjaly, Muzhukappu, Mrithyunjaya Homam, Sahasranamarchana, Neeranjanam, Kalbhabhishekam, Abhishekam, Mala Charthu, Adithya Namaskaram, Anthi pooja, Choroonu, Thulabharam, Udayada Charthu, Vidyarambham.
How To Reach
Kandiyoor temple located just 1.7 km west of Mavelikara town and 3 kms from Mavelikara railway station on the Kayamkulam -Thiruvalla State highway. It is 8 kms from NH47 deviated from Nangarkulangara near Haripad or 9kms from Kayamkulam. Through MC road, it is nearly 20kms from Tiruvalla, Chengannur, Pandalam and Adoor. World famous Chettikulangara Devi temple is 4kms from here.