B2B Kerala

Thirunelli temple, Wayanad

Thirunelli temple is situated in North Wayanad about 30 km away from Mananthavady. Its a place of tourist attraction for a long time. Its a place of charming silent beauty. Another attractions are the Papanasini river and Pakshipathalam.

The people belonging to the Hindu religion do their forefathers "Balikarma" in Papanasini River. Hindus believe that one who baths in this river gets relieved from all sins. The beautiful snowy mountains and the evergreen forest adds to the beaty.

It's surrounded with lush green mountains called Brahmagiri valley. If you climb the temple and look the scene is just awesome and you know Kerala... it's always raining which makes it even more beautiful. Lord Vishnu is the main deity here.

Jain Temple

 Large scale Jain migration took place from Mysore to Wayanad between the 12th and 16th centuries and settled down as traders, managing its numerous cash crops. Today there are hardly any Jains left in the region, save for a few followers of the Digambar sect, locally known as Gowdas. But the early settlers have left behind a legacy in stone, in shape of many temples they built here. While most of these are in ruins now, the one at Puthangadi close to the Panamaram- Nadayavayal Road, with some exquisite carvings and artistic murals, and another at Sulthan Bathery are relatively well preserved.

One of the most important in this region, the Bathery temple of Kerala which is believed to have been built during the 13th century, its design strongly influenced by the architectural style of the then reigning Vijayanagar dynasty. Another unique feature of the temple is its rather chequered history and should be visited by every traveler

Glass Temple Koottamundu

This is a traditional Jain temple built attractively. The Glass temple Koottamundu is on the hill side of Vellarimala. Vellarimala is a part of the magnificent Western Ghats. Vellarimala is a high hill range of Camel's Hump Mountains. The majority of Vellarimala hill ranges falls in the Meppady Forest Range. Meppady forest range is of South Wayanad Kalpetta. The main attraction of this place is adventure trekking.

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Padmanabha Swamy Temple , Thiruvananthapuram

A temple dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, it was renovated by Raja Marthanda Varma in the year 1733. The idol is Lord Padmanabha reclining on Anantha (the thousand headed serpent). The sculpture is about 5.5 m long and one of the largest Vishnu Idols in India. The deity reclines in a large dimly lit room and can be seen through three doors. One door reveals his feet, the other his midriff and the other door shows his chest and face. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the temple.

Attukal Bhagavati Temple , Thiruvananthapuram

Attukal Pongala is celebrated between the 18th and 26th of February, every year, at Attukal Bhagavati Temple. It is a ten-day festival. On the 9th day, thousands of women devotees from many parts of the state gather in the temple to prepare ‘pongala’, a dish prepared with coconut, jaggery and banana, as an offering to the goddess. The ritual starts early in the morning and ends by afternoon. The uniqueness of the festival is that only women are allowed to do the offerings on that day.

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Vadakkumnathan Temple , Thrissur

The temple with four imposing Gopurams, enclosed by a lofty stone wall, Vadakkumnathan is one of the most revered temples of Kerala. In a unique ritual, ghee is poured over the idol of Lord Shiva. A classic example of the Kerala style of architecture with different sacred shrines within, the temple is believed to be founded by Saint Parasurama.

Basilica of Our Lady of Dolores/ Puthan Palli , Thrissur

This famed church is believed to be the tallest church in Asia. It has a three storied portico and even higher steeples. Decorated with Gothic towers, 15 altars and church bells imported from Germany, the church is a must visit destination of  Thrissur.

Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple

The most famous temple town of Kerala, Guruvayur is where devout pilgrims come together to seek the blessings of Guruvayurappan (meaning God of Guruvayur). The Sree Krishna temple here is Kerala’s largest shrine and has a 33.5 m tall gold plated dwajasthambha or a flagpole, which stands in front of the temple. The temple is at a distance of 30 km from Thrissur. Entry is restricted to Hindus.

Kodungalloor

Kodungalloor is a place with a rich historic heritage. It is famous for its Cheraman Perumal Juma Masjid, believed to be the first mosque in India; the Mar Thoma Pontifical shrine, which is believed to be the first church in India. This church was built to commemorate the arrival of St Thomas, the apostle of Christ. The Bhagavathi Temple which draws devotees across the state is the most ancient temple of northern Kerala.

Palayur Church

One of the oldest churches among the ones built by St Thomas the Apostle, the Palayur Church is believed to have been built in the 52 AD. Granite statues portraying the life of the saint beautify the entrance of the church.

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Sabarimala , Pathanamthitta

The temple dedicated to Lord Ayyapa is situated high on the Western Ghats and can be reached only by foot. The temple is thronged by thousands of pilgrims everyday, especially during the time when the Makarajyothi (a divine light that appears above the shrine) is seen. People of any religion can visit this temple. However, for women, entry is allowed only to those below the age of ten or above the age of 60.

Kaviyoor , Pathanamthitta

Temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman on the banks of River Manimala, make Kaviyoor an important pilgrimage centre. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, 3 km east of Tiruvalla, at Trikkakudi, is famous for its beautiful Pallava style of architecture.

Maramon

Maramon is famous for the Christian Convention held here, on the vast sandy beds of the River Pamba. Though a religious convention of of Christians it is attended by people belonging to all communities. The seven day convention takes place in February. Addressed by speakers of international repute and attended by devotees innumerable, this is the largest Christian convention in the world. The centenary celebration of the convention was held in February 1995.

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Jain Temple , Palakkad

Jain Temple of Jainimedu is situated on the western suburbs of Palakkad town, not far from the railway station, this historic 32 feet long, 20 feet wide granite temple displays images of the Jain Thirthankaras and Yakshinis. The region around the temple, known as Jainimedu, is one of the few laces in Kerala where the vestiges of Jainism have survived. It is at a Jain house here that poet Kumaranasan wrote his monumental poet Veenapoovu (The fallen flower).

This temple has been built about 500 years ago by jain head, Inchanna Satur, for the jain sage Chandranathaswamy. The granite walls are devoid of any decoration. An idol of Chandranthan occupies the first division of the temple, Vijayalakshmi and Jwalamohini the scond, Rish abha Nathan the third, and parswa Nathan and Padmavathi the fourth. An air of austerity marks this quiet place. The main altar is unadorned while lit lamps flank the main stature palakkad was once home to a community of 400 Jain families, but their numbers are less now.

Location On the south bank of the Kalpathy River in jainmedu, just beyond the Chunnambuthara area, 3km from the centre of palakkad

Varahamoorthi Kshethram

The legend behind this temple is what makes it special. According to the myth, Perumthachan, an expert carpenter began constructing this temple after being challenged to build a temple that could challenge heaven. Lord Indra truly got envious of the temple and altered minute measurements of the temple which in turn would disrupt Perumthachan’s work. This went on for months until an exasperated Perumthachan gave up on the task and decided to end his career as a carpenter. At the temple one can see a measuring scale and axe lieing inserted into a wall of the temple, which has unfinished structures and pillars.

Timengs 7 -10.30 am, 5 -7am

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Thirunavaya, Malappuram

Thirunavaya is located 8 km south of Tirur on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. This is a place of great historical importance. The Mamangam, a grand assembly of the rulers of Kerala, used be held here every 12 years. In this grand assembly the Emperor of Kerala was chosen.

This extravagant festival was conducted for the last time in 1755. It used to last for 28 days where traders even from other countries used come in ships and barges to Thirunavaya through the Ponnani port.

Today Thirunavaya is the venue for the annual Sarvodaya Mela. The Thirunavaya Navamukunda temple is also a famous pilgrim centre.

How to Reach
Air : Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode about 36 km from Malappuram.
Rail: Tirur,about 8 km

Kadampuzha, Malappuram

Devi Temple, Kadampuzha is a Hindu temple and pilgrimage centre in Malappuram District, Kerala, India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddessDurga, a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess.

The Devi temple, owned by the Malabar Devaswom Board under the Government of Kerala, is administered through a trust consisting of the Variar family and non hereditary co-opted trustees.

Valiya Juma Masjid Malappuram

This is an important pilgrim centre of the Muslims of Kerala. The four day annual festival at the mosque(nercha) is celebrated in April. Adjoining the mosque is the mausoleum of the Malappuram shaheeds (martys) whose  brave exploits have been immortalised in the Mappila ballads.

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Mishkal Mosque

The Mosque was built by an Arab merchant, Nakhooda Mishkal, nearly 650 years ago. It is named Mishkal Mosque after him.  It is located in Kuttichira, a part of Thekkepuram region in Kozhikode city. In 1510, the mosque was partially burned in a Portuguese attack. The top floors of the mosque still display some of that damage.

Mishkal Mosque originally had five stories. It was reconstructed after the fire in 1510 and now has four stories. Typical for similarly aged mosques of the region, it has no cupolas and minarets and heavily employs timber. According to some historians, Kerala’s temple architecture influenced the architecture of old mosques in Kerala which have gopuram style entrance arches and no minarets.

Tali Temple , Kozhikode

The Tali Temple situated in the heart of the Kozhikode Town, about one kilometer east of the Railway Station and a treasure house of historical memorable is under the Trusteeship of the Zamorin of Calicut.

The founding and prosperity of Kozhikode town is closely linked with the sanctity of this ancient temple. The Jyothirlingam in the sanctum – Sanctorum of the Temple was installed towards the end of Dwaparayuga by Sri. Parasurama, who was responsible for the creation of Kerala, by retrieving the land from the sea by throwing his powerful axe from the top of Sahyadri, The posture in the sanctum-sanctorum is that of Umamaheswara. Though this divine power existed from time immemorial, the attention of the citizens of Kozhikode was (bestowed on the temple) only by about 1500 years ago. It reached its zenith during the rule of the Zamorins, who had the prestigious title Sailabdheswara (The lord of the mountain and the sea).

Mother of God Cathedral, Kozhikode

The History of the Matre de Deo's Church of Calicut affords an example of vicissitudes of the early Catholics of the Region, which emerged as a result of evangelization work done by Portuguese Missionaries, in their struggle to build suitable accommodation for their spiritual gatherings.

In 1513 A.D, a treaty was concluded between the Portuguese and the Zamorin of Calicut by which the Raja allowed the Portuguese to erect a Factory (Feitoria) at Calicut. A Chapel dedicated to Matre de Deo was attached to this Factory . It is believed to have housed a stone Cross struck in bas relief on granite with a Portuguese inscription. This stone Cross, worshiped by the thousands everyday, was installed in the Holy Cross Chapel, attached to the Matre de Deo's Church, established more than hundred years ago.

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Bharananganam

Bharananganam is a panchayat in Kottayam district of Kerala, covering an area of 27.04 square km.The population is around 17,000. This place has become a major pilgrimage tourist destination ever since the canonization of Sr. Alphonsa of this place, by the Pope at Vatican. The womens college at Palai is named after St. Alphonsa. This college is famous for its achievements in sports apart from academic excellence. It has produced a few Olympians too. The other pilgrimage places around Bharananganam are the churches at the native place of  St. Alphonsa at Kudamaloor and Muttuchira which are visited by thousands of pilgrims.

Different faiths

The Bharananganam church which is 1000 years old is also known as Anakkallu church. This place also talks of stories which relate to the legendary Pandavas. It is believed that Bharananganam Sree Krishna temple was blessed by the Pandavas themselves. There is also a Sastha Temple at Edamattom nearby.The older name of this place was Parananganam. St. Thomas, the apostle of India, social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, Mother Teresa, blessed Chavara Elias and others have visited this place. It is believed that a portion of the cross which was used to crucify Jesus Christ is kept here. Archeologists have unearthed 162 coins which belong to Buddha era (B.C 563-483), from the pilgrimage destination of Bharananganam. This place was considered to be a settlement of Buddhists.

St.Francis Assisi feast(December 8th), St. Sebastians feast (January 20, 21) and St. Alphonsa day (July 28) are the main festivals of Bharananganam pilgrimage place. People belonging to various communities live here in harmony, and the festivals of the church and temple are celebrated by all. The ornamental lamp held during the church procession was donated by the temple. This church was made a forane in 1890 itself. The first pastoral home in Kerala was built here. The ornamental gold cross which is an artistic marvel was first owned by this church at Bharananganam.

Erumely

A region for its communal harmony, Erumely is a town that has Hindu and Muslim shrines built close to each other. The Vavar mosque dedicated to Vavar, Lord Ayyappa’s Muslim friend, is visited by pilgrims going to Sabarimala. The Kochambalam opposite the Vavar Mosque is known for the Petta Thullal performed by the pilgrims visiting Sabarimala. The Valiyambalam and Puthenveedu are just a kilometer away from the kochambalam. The Puthenveedu is believed to be the place where Lord Ayyappa was given food and shelter to, by a good old lady. The small old, thatched mud house displays the sword that Lord Ayyapa gifted to the lady to repay for her kindness.

Mata Amritanandamayi Ashram , Kollam

Amritapuri, earlier known as Vallikavu, is the birth place of the eminent spiritual guru, Matha Amritanandamayi. The ashram built in a five acre plot holds a township that includes a post office, bank and library.

Ochira Parabrahma Temple , Kollam

This temple is one of its kinds because it neither has a main shrine nor an idol to be worshipped. This temple is dedicated to the ‘Para Brahma’, the supreme principle. Ochirakali, is the temple’s annual festival that honors the big battle between the Kayamkulam and Chempakasseri Kings.

Sasthamkotta Dharmasastha Temple , Kollam

This is a temple dedicated to lord Ayyappa. The monkeys in the surrounding woods are respected by the devotees as they were once believed to be the loyal followers of Dharmasastha, the ruling deity. The ten day annual festival celebrated by the temple includes the colourful Kettukazhcha parade and an elephant procession.

Achenkovil , Kollam

Situated about 80 kms from Punalur is an important pilgrim center. The Sastha temple, Achenkovil, is situated amidst a dense forest. The idol of Sastha is believed to have been installed several centuries before the Christian Era. The two important festivals of this temple are Mandala Pooja (December-January) and the festival held during ‘Revathi’(January-February). The two notable features of the festival are the Therotam (chariot festival) and Pushpabhishekam (offering of flowers). In no other temple of the South India are flowers offered to the deity so lavishly as at Achenkovil.

Ananthapuram Temple , Kasargod

The only lake temple in Kerala. It is situated 15 kms away from Kasargod in the northeastern direction. It is in an isolated place. The temple, which is surrounded on all sides by water, would appears as if it is made out breaking a huge rock. A bridge connects the temple premises and the main temple. The idol installed in the temple is that of Anantha Padmanabha Swami.

There is a crocodile in the pond. It is said that this crocodile had been living in the pond for the past 40 years. This crocodile is a vegetarian. Nearby the pond there is a cave. A top the cave there is a Ganapathy temple.

Malik Dinar Mosque

Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargod district of Kerala state, Over the years, Kasargod acquired the considerable importance as a centre of Islam on the west coast. It is the site of one of the mosques believed to have been founded by Malik Ibn Dinar. The mosque, Juma Masjid, which is one of the best kept and most attractive in the district, is located at Thalangara. It contains the grave of Malik Ibn Mohammed, one of the descendants of Malik Ibn Dinar and the place is sacred to Muslims. Another notable mosque, in Kasaragod is the Theruvath Mosque which is in the centre of the town.

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