Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

of the god

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

situated in

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

, in the Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple is considered the original abode of the god. This temple is more than 700 years old.

Deities

Shiva is the temple's presiding deity. Although his consort

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

has no idol, she is said to be ever-present in the Sanctum. The deity is called ''Gowri Shankara'' (lit. "Shiva with Parvati"). A Sanctum for

Sastha Shasta (IAST Śāstā) is a Hindu deity, described as the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini, Vishnu's female avatar. In South India, he is identified with the Ayyanar, Nattarayan or Sattan in Tamil Nadu, as Ayyanayake in Sinhala and the A ...

is within the Chuttambalam.

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

(Ganapati), the serpent gods and

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

dwell outside the Chuttambalam. Many devotees argue that the idol worshipped as Bhootathan is actually a

Yakshi Yakshinis or Yakshis (, , Prakrit: ) are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from Devas and Asuras and Gandharvas or Apsaras. Yakshinis and their male counterparts, the Yaks ...

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

(Anjaneya) and

Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...

(Kartikeya), both carved on pillars near the flagmast, receive worship. All the deities face east. Adjacent to the shrine of Ganapati stands an idol of Goddess

Parashakti Parashakti (IAST: Paraśakti, Sanskrit: पराशक्ति) or Parā is one of the three chief goddesses in Trika system of Kashmir Shaivism along with Aparā and Parparā. In Siddhantic perspective, Parashakti is the counterpart of Par ...

who was worshiped in a nearby

Kalari A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word ''kalari'' comes from Tamil. In the past, village schools in Tamilnadu, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were k ...

. In the Kalari she was worshipped with 'makaara panchakam' in the Shakteya Sampradaya.

Legend

As per legend, an old woman sweeper of Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple distinguished the Swyambhoo (self manifested)

Shiva Linga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

idol while she was resting at this place. She got 'Darshan' (vision) of Shiva at the spot.

Main Offerings

Many devotees attend the Nirmalya Darshan. Mritunjaya Homam, Mrityunjaya archana, Jaladhara, Pinvilakku and Kuvala mala samarpanam are the most popular offerings made to Shiva. Ganapathy Homam, Mrithyunjaya Homam, Mrithyunjayarchana, Abhishekam, Dhara, Pushpabhishekam, Neerajanam, Venna Charthu for AnjaneyaSwamy, Ashtothararchana, Sahasranamarchana, Nateshalankaram.

Festivals

The annual festival lasts for ten days and will be celebrated in the Malayalam month Dhanu (Dec-Jan). The Aarattu will be on

Thiruvathira Thiruvathira (also known as Thiruvathirai or Arudhra Darisanam) is a Hindu festival predominantly observed in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The term ''Thiruvathirai'' (Arudhra) in Tamil translates to "sacred grand wave," symbol ...

Star day which is considered as the birthday of Shiva. Shivarathri festival is also celebrated in a grand manner. Anointing the idol of Lord Shiva with pure ghee throughout the day is performed on that day.

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

and

attract crowds to the temple and Thiruvathira day of Malayalam month Dhanu.

Management

The temple is under the control of

Travancore Devaswom Board Travancore Devaswom Board is statutory and autonomous body managing around 1252 temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the ...

References

External links

GeoHack - Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple
{{Hindu temples in Kerala Hindu temples in Thiruvananthapuram Shiva temples in Kerala