Sunday, 30 December 2012

108 Shiva Temples in Kerala created by Lord Parasurama



Shiva and Parvati
Shiva and Ganapati
Om Namah Shivaya


According to the legends, Lord Parasurama created the land between Gokarna and Kanyakumari. Lord Parasurama the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was the son of Sage Jamadagni and Renuka. As a mark of repentance for Kshatriya Nigraha sin, Parasurama meditated at Gokarna and invoked Lord Varuna (the Lord of the Oceans). Parasurama asked him for a boon. To absolve himself of the sins he had committed, he wanted to donate some land to the Brahmins. There was no land available because he already donated the whole land he obtained by the 21 round Kshatriya Nigraha to Sage Kashyapa. Lord Varuna told Parasurama that he would give him as much land as he wished. He told him to fling his Parasu (axe) from where he stood at Gokarna. The land from Gokarna till the point where the axe landed would be given to him was the boon that Lord Varuna promised him. The throw of the `axe' from Gokarna to Kanyakumari created Kerala. Parasurama donated this land to the Brahmins and settled Brahmins there in 64 gramams or villages.

32 out of the 64 gramams are in the Tulu speaking region (in between Gokarnam and Perumpuzha) and the remaining 32 gramams are in the Malayalam speaking region(in between Perumpuzha and Kanyakumari) in Kerala. Those in Kerala listed in the Keralopatti, the narrative of Kerala history are

1. Payyannoor 2. Perumchelloor (Talipparambu) 3. Alatthiyoor 4. Karanthol 5.Chokiram (Shukapuram) 6. Panniyoor 7. Karikkau 8. Isaanamangalam 9. Thrussivaperoor 10. Peruvanam. 11. Chamunda (Chemmanta) 12. Irungatikkootal (Iringalakkuda) 13. Avattiputhur (Avittathoor) 14. Paravoor 15. Airanikkulam 16. Muzhikkalam 17. Kuzhavur 18. Atavur 19. Chenganatu(Chengamanadu) 20. Ilibhyam 21. Uliyannoor 22. Kalutanatu. 23. Ettumanoor 24. Kumaranalloor 25. Kadamuri 26. Aranmula 27. Tiruvalla 28. Kidangoor 29.Chengannoor 30. Kaviyoor 31. Venmani and 32. Neermanna (Niranam)

After the creation of these gramams, Parasurama had consecrated 108 Shiva temples and 108 Durga temples for the well-being and prosperity of the people in Kerala . Among these 216 temples, the Lord Shiva of Gokarnam Mahabaleswara Temple in the north and Goddess Kumari of Kanyakumari temple in the south were considered as the protectors of Kerala. The first Shivalaya created by Parasurama was the Thrissivaperoor Vadakkunnatha Temple and the last one was the Thrikkariyoor Mahadeva Temple.

The names of these temples were given in the famous 108 Shivalaya Nama Stothra. This stothra is written in Malayalam and is anonymous. There are many temples with the same place names. Also some old names do not exist or their names have changed. So I have included temples with the same place names as a single group in this 108 shivalayas. So in this list you can find more than 110 Shiva temples in Kerala. It is clear that this stothra was composed in Thrissur region of Kerala because 64 temples were located in this region(9 in Palakkad district, 43 in Thrissur district and 12 in Ernakulam district). District wise distribution of rest of the temples are - 4 in Thiruvanathapuram, 5 in Kollam, 3 in Pathanamthitta, 6 in Alappuzha, 11 in Kottayam, 1 in Idukki, 7 in Malappuram, 4 in Kozhikkode, 1 in Vayanad and 5 in Kannur. Now 2 temples are in Karnataka and one is in Tamil Nadu. The full version of this stothra is given below.

108 Shivalaya Nama Stothra
Sreemad Dakshina Kailasam Sree Perooriraveeswaram
Sucheendram Chowaram Mathoor Trippangott atha Mundayoor
Sree Mandhamkunnu Chowalloor Panancheri Korattiyum
Puramundekkatt Avungannoor Kollooru Thirumangalam
Trikkariyooru Kunnapram Sree Velloor Ashtamangalam
Iyranikkulavum Kainoor Gokarnam Eranakulam
Paarivaloor Adattum nal Parippil Chathamangalam
Paraparambu Trukkooru Panayooru Vyttila
Vaikom Rameswaram randum Ettumanoor Edakkolam
Chemmanthatt Aluva pinne Thirumittakkottu Cherthala
Kallattupuzha Trukkunnu Cheruvathooru Ponganam
Trukkapaleeswaram moonnum Avittathoor Perummala
Kollathum Kattakampala Pazhayanooru Perakom
Athampally Ambilikkadu Cheranellooru Maniyoor
Tali nalum Kodungalloor Vanchiyoor Vanchuleswaram
Panjarkulam Chittukulam Alathoor atha Kottiyoor
Truppalooru Perumtatta Truthala Thiruvallayum
Vazhappally Puthuppally Mangalam Thirunnakkara
Kodumboor Ashtamikkovil Pattanakkadu Thashtayil
Killikkurussiyum Puthoor Kumbhasambhavamandiram
Someswaram cha Vengaloor Kottarakkara Kandiyoor
Palayoorumahadeva Chelloor atha Nedumpura
Mannoor Truchaliyoor Srumgapuram Kottooru Mammiyoor
Parampum tali Thirunavaya Kaarikkodu Cherthala
Kottappuram Muthuvara Valappaya Chendamangalm
Thrukkandiyoor Peruvanam Thiruvaloor Chirakkalum
Ipparanjava noottettum bhakthiyothu padikkuvor
Deham nasikkiletheedum mahadevante sannidhow
Pradoshathil japichal ashesha duritham kedum
Yathra yathra shiva kshethram tatra tatra namamyaham

shivalayastotram

Legend says that all these 108 shivalayas were built by Parasurama. But in the legends of many temples we cannot see such a connection. There is no dispute that these hymns which we have been singing for years have influenced the devotees minds.

The 108 great Shiva temples in ancient Kerala were


1. Dakshina Kailasam Thrissivaperoor Vadakkunnatha Temple 

2. Udayamperoor Ekadasi Perumthrikkovil Mahadeva Temple
    Peroor Kaipayil Shiva Temple 

3. Raveeswarapuram Temple Kodungalloor 
    Iraveeswaram Mahadeva Temple Kudamaloor 

4. Sucheendram Sthanumalaya Perumal Temple 

5. Chowara Chidmbareswara Temple 

6. Mathoor Shiva Temples 

7. Trippangott Shiva Temple 

8. Mundayoor or Mundoor Shiva Temple 

9. Thirumandhamkunnu Mahadeva Temple 

10. Chowalloor Shiva Temple 

11. Panancheri Mudikkode Shiva Temple 

12.Koratty Annamanada Mahadeva Temple

     Thrukkoratty Mahadeva Temple 

13. Puramundekkat Mahadeva Temple 

14. Avanoor Sreekandeswaram Mahadeva Temple 

15. Kolloor Mookambika Temple 

16. Thirumangalam Mahadeva Temple 

17. Thrikkariyoor Mahadeva Temple 

18. Kunnathu Mahadeva Temple 

19. Velloor Perunthatta Mahadeva Temple 

20. Ashtamangalam Mahadeva Temple 

21. Iranikkulam Mahadeva Temple 

22. Kainoor Mahadeva Temple 

23. Gokarnam Mahabaleswara Temple 

24. Ernakulam Mahadeva Temple 

25. Pazhoor Perumthrikkovil Mahadeva Temple 

26. Adattu Mahadeva Temple 

27. Parippu Mahadeva Temple 

28. Sasthamangalam Mahadeva Temple 

29. Perumparambu Mahadeva Temple 

30. Trukkoor Mahadeva Temple 

31. Panayoor Paloor Mahadeva Temple 

32. Vytila Nettoor Mahadeva Temple 

33. Vaikom Mahadeva Temple 

34. Rameswaram Mahadeva Temple Kollam 

35. Rameswaram Mahadeva Temple Amaravila 

36. Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple 

37. Edakkolam Kanjilassery Mahadeva Temple 

38. Chemmanthitta Mahadeva Temple 

39. Aluva Mahadeva Temple 

40. Thirumittakkod Anchumoorthy Temple 

41. Cherthala Velorvattom Mahadeva Temple 

42. Kallattupuzha Mahadeva Temple 

43. Thrukkunnu Mahadeva Temple 

44. Cheruvathoor Mahadeva Temple 

45. Poonkunnam Mahadeva Temple 

46. Trukkapaleeswaram Mahadeva Temple Nadapuram 

47. Trukkapaleeswaram Mahadeva Temple Peralassery 

48. Trukkapaleeswaram Mahadeva Temple Niranam 

49. Avittathoor Mahadeva Temple 

50. Kodumon Angadikkal Perumala Tali Maha Shiva Temple 
      Parumala Valiya Panayannarkavu Temple 

51. Kollam Anandavalleeswaram Mahadeva Temple 

52. Kattakambala Mahadeva Temple 

53. Pazhayannoor Kondazhi Trutham Tali 

54. Perakom Mahadeva Temple 

55. Chakkamkulangara Mahadeva Temple 

56. Kumaranalloor Temple 
      Enkakkad Veeranimangalam Mahadeva Temple 

57. Cheranelloor Mahadeva Temple 

58. Maniyoor Mahadeva Temple 

59. Nediya Tali Mahadeva Temple 

60. Kozhikkode Tali Mahadeva Temple 

61. Thazhathangady Tali Mahadeva Temple 

62. Kaduthuruthy Tali Mahadeva Temple 

63. Kodungalloor Mahadeva Temple 

64. Vanchiyoor Sreekandeswaram Mahadeva Temple 

65. Thiruvanjikkulam Mahadeva Temple 

66. Padanayarkulangara Mahadeva Temple 

67. Truchattukulam Mahadeva Temple
      Kadungalloor Chittukulam Mahadeva Temple 

68. Alathoor Pokkunni Mahadeva Temple 

69. Kottiyoor Mahadeva Temple 

70. Truppaloor Mahadeva Temple 

71. Perunthatta Mahadeva Temple 

72. Truthala Mahadeva Temple 

73. Thiruvalla Thiruvatta Mahadeva Temple
      Thukalassery Mahadeva Temple 

74. Vazhappally Mahadeva Temple 

75. Puthuppally Changankulangara 
      Puthuppally Thrukkovil Mahadeva Temple 

76. Anchummoorthy Mangalam Mahadeva Temple 

77. Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple 

78. Kodumbu Mahadeva Temple 

79. Ashtamichira Mahadeva Temple 

80. Pattanakkad Mahadeva Temple
      Mattannoor Mahadeva Temple 

81. Uliyannoor Mahadeva Temple 

82. Killikkurussimangalam Mahadeva Temple 

83. Puthoor Mahadeva Temple 

84. Chengannoor Mahadeva Temple 

85. Someswaram Mahadeva Temple 

86. Venganelloor Mahadeva Temple 

87. Kottarakkara Mahadeva Temples 

88. Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple 

89. Palayoor Mahadeva Temple 

90. Taliparamba Rajarajeswara Temple 

91. Nedumpura Kulasekharanelloor Mahadeva Temple 

92. Mannoor Mahadeva Temple 

93. Trussilery Temple 

94. Sringapuram Mahadeva Temple 

95. Kottoor Karivelloor Mahadeva Temple 

96. Mammiyoor Mahadeva Temple 

97. Parabumthali Mahadeva Temple 

98. Thirunavaya Mahadeva Temple 

99. Karikkode Kanjiramattam Mahadeva Temple 

100. Cherthala Nalppathenneeswaram Mahadeva Temple 

101. Kottappuram Mahadeva Temple 

102. Muthuvara Mahadeva Temple 

103. Velappaya Mahadeva Temple 

104. Chendamangalam Kunnathoor Tali Mahadeva Temple 

105. Thrukkandiyoor Mahadeva Temple 

106. Peruvanam Mahadeva Temple 

107. Thiruvaloor Mahadeva Temple 

108. Chirakkal Mahadeva Temple

courtesy of vaikhari.org

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