Thrikkur Mahadeva Temple
Thrikkur Mahadeva Temple is an ancient cave temple believed to have been established by Agni Deva. This temple is located in Thrikkur, Mukundapuram taluk, Thrissur district. It is believed to have been established by Agni Deva, and is also considered to be one of the 108 Shiva temples believed to have been established by Parashurama [1]. The temple is located on a 150-foot-high rock on the banks of the Manalipuzha river, about ten kilometers southeast of Thrissur city. It is one of the most famous cave temples in Kerala. Historians say that this temple was originally a Jain temple and was later converted to Hinduism. In this temple, Lord Shiva, in the form of fire, resides facing east, but the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum faces north. This is a special feature of this temple. Along with Shiva, there is also a Parvati Sankalpa in the temple sanctum sanctorum. In addition, the temple also has deities of Ganapati, Shasta, Varahamurthy (in the form of a Salagram), Bhadrakali, Durga, Chamundi, Anthimahakal, Saptamatrikkal and Naga gods as sub-deities. The eight-day festival that concludes with an Aratthu in the Manalipuzha on Thiruvathira in the month of Makaram, Shivaratri in the month of Kumbha, Thiruvathira in the month of Dhanu, Kalabhabhishekam on Thiruvathira in the month of Thulam, and Navaratri in the month of Kanni are the main annual events of the temple. There is a theory that the temple later passed from Perumbadappu Mana and Kaplingad Mana to the ownership of the Paliath family, who were the Prime Ministers of the Cochin Kingdom.
