Kerala which is often referred to “God’s own country” is one of the best states in India that hold tons of religious ceremonies along with plenty of sacred holy temples that are well-known not just in Kerala and India but also throughout the world.
Today in this travel blog we are going to discuss about the top 7 holy shrines in Kerala which have been an epitome of the culturally rich Malayalam region that is not just only known for its outstanding beauty but as well as its dignified sacred holy shrines which capture the hearts of millions of devotees each year.
List of the Top 7 Holy shrines in Kerala
1. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
We had to start of this blog article with Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple as this is not just a famous temple in Kerala but the richest temple in the world with assets worth an astonishing amount of Rs 120000 crore. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams which is considered as the holy abodes of Vishnu as per the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The temple got much fame in the year 2015 when everyone started talking about vault B within the temple undergrounds which holds treasure valued up to $ 1 trillion. The treasure is currently controlled by the royal Travancore family with the current trustee being the Titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma.
The temple has a well -done architecture from the stone carvings to mural paintings within the temple which follow both Kerala style and Dravidian style architecture. One of its main feature is its 16th century gopuram which is about 100 foot high 7-tier gopuram that was laid in the year 1566.
Timings
- 3:30 PM- 4:45 AM
- 6:30 AM- 7:00AM
- 8:30 AM- 10:00 AM
- 10:30 AM- 11:15 AM
- 12:00 AM-12:20 PM
- 4:30 PM- 6:10 PM
- 6:45 PM-7:15 PM
2. Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Attukal
The Attukal Bhagavathy temple is a Hindu Shrine located in Attukal that is dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali, who is mounted over a Vetala ( a revenant in the Hindu Mythology). The goddess is known as the Supreme Mother, the creator and destroyer of all living beings. The Attukal Bhagavathy temple holds a big importance in the hearts of her devotees who come here as they believe the goddess will grant their wishes.
This sacred holy shrine is known to for it celebrating one of the most significant festival of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple known as Pongala Mahotsavam. It is the festival that offers Pongal which is tradition and practice which has been continued in the temple since the ancient time. It is filled with crowds during this Ten days festive period which starts on the Kartika star of the Malayalam month of Makaram-Kumbham which is usually between the period of February to March, the recent was done on February 25, with the festive season closing by making a sacrifical offering to the Goddess known as Kuruthitharpanam at night.
Timings
- 4:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM
3. Sabarimala Sastha Temple in Sabrimala village, Pathanamthitta
Sabarimala Sastha temple also known as Sabrimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple that is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa (Dharma Shasta). Lord Ayyappa holds a special place in the hearts of the people of India. He is known as the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in his Mohini Form and is referred to as the bestower of blessings. Although Ayyappa’s origins are restricted strictly to the South of India. The traditional route of Sabarimala is from Eurmeli which is about 40 kilometers some other popular routes include Vandiperiyar, uppupara and Chalakkayam via Plappally.
The temple is well known to attract flocks of devotees each year which is proabably one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world with an estimate attendees equaling to 15 million. One of the most unique offerings of Sabrimala pilgrimage includes a tradition of offerings at the mosque of Vavar.
Timings
- 3:00 AM- 1:00 PM
- 3:00 PM- 11:45 PM
4. Guruvayoor Srikrishna temple in Guruvayoor
Guruvayoor Srikrishna Temple is another famous temple that is devoted to Lord Krishna which is approximately 2000 years old temple and attracts plethora of devotees around the world due to its rich history and architectural beauty. The ambiance gets very soothing as during the evening procession and its divine chants you see little toddlers running around the temple premises dressed just like Shri Krishna, making it a very pleasant environment.
Guruvayoor Srikrishna temple is one of the significant holy shrines of the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of the Vaishanavate tradition. It is also referred to Bhuloka vaikuntha also known as the heavenly abode of Vishnu on earth.
Timings
- 3:00 AM- 1:30 PM
- 4:30 PM- 9:30 PM
5. Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam, Ettumanoor
The Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple is an ancient Shiva temple that dates backs to as early as 1542 AD. The temple signifies the rich history of India as legends holds that the Pandavas from Mahabharata and the sage Vyasa has come here to worship Lord Shiva. The temple is known for its beautiful Dravidian style Mural paintings which can be seen on the walls both inside and outside of the temple which really makes its way into the top 7 holy shrines in Kerala.
The temple attracts huge crowd during its grand Arattu festival on Thiruvathira day which is held during the month of February and March. During this festival seven and a half elephants are displayed to the public which are fully made of gold and weight about 13kg. These elephants were a donation made by the great maharaja of the royal Travancore family.
Timings
- 4:00 AM-12:00 PM
- 5:00 PM- 8:00 PM
6. Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple in Ambalapuzha
The Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna temple is located in the Alappuzha district of Kerala which dates back to the early 15th century CE. It was built by a local ruler named Chembakassery Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran, the temple is known as one of the seven greatest holy shrines in the Travancore region. It attracts large crowds for many reasons with one being its architecture beauty and second is its Pal Payasam which is an extremely delicious offering given by them temple to the devotees of the temple. The Pal Payasam is a rice pudding which is mixed along with sweet milk that is offered to Lord Guruvayoorappan before the offer is then given to the tourists and devotees.
The architectural beauty of this place is outstanding as it follows the traditional Kerala style architecture and its intricate design which attract folks who come here to find solace and spiritual experiences.
Timings
- 3:00 AM- 12:00 PM
- 5:00 PM- 8:00 PM
7. Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple in Chottanikkara
The final one in our list of Top 7 holy shrines in Kerala is Chottanikkara Bhagavathy temple which is located in Chottanikkara in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. The temple is dedicated tot eh goddess known as Rajarajeswari or also Adiparasakhti. The Goddess is worshipped in three different forms during the three different timings of the day those are Mahasaraswati, Mahalakshmi and Mahaparvati.
The temple also has idols of other deities that are Lord Brahma, Lord Sastha, Lord Subramanya, Lord Shiva, and Lord Ganesha. The chottanikara temple houses a magnificent architecture which is made by wood which attracts many tourists from far of places within India and outside India. One of the legends of this temple say that Goddess Bhadrakali had appeared in front of the living beings in her full attire to Vilwamangalam Swamiyar on the Makom Day.
Timings
- 4:00 AM- 12:00 PM
- 4:00 PM- 8:30 PM
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