Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple

History

Important Siva Temple in Central Travancore known as Thrikkaviyoor Mahadevar Temple.It is believed to have been constructed in the early years of the 10th century. The temple is more than thousand years old.But the actual time of construction is not known,like any other old temples. Certainly, this temple belongs to the oldest period of strucural temples.

Several historians, like Stella Kramrich has this opinion. The Perfect round Sreekovil with Sandhara style and its peculiar basment clarifies this opinion. 

And the "KAVIYOOR SASANAAS" ,one of the oldest Sasanaas of AD has references to the gift that were offered to this temple There are Two inscriptions on the basement of the main sanctum dated 950 & 951 AD.The Sasanaas are surely an addition, since they wer written after the temple is constructed.

This is one of the famous major temples of Travancore Devaswam Board under Thiruvalla group of temples.

Main Prathishta : Lord Mahadeva

Upadevas :

• Lord Hanuman
• Dakshinamoorthy(Lord Siva along with Ganapathy)
• Sreemoola Rajeswari (Parvathy, Prathishta done in the year 1068).
• Sreekrishnan(with oldest round Sreekovil)

Festivals:

1.Thiruvutsavam (December - Janruary) every year starts "Thiruvaathira" in Dhanu masa and ends on 10th day by Araattu Ezhunnellippu.

'Utsavabali','Seva','Pallivetta' are the main functions during Thiruvutsavam.

2.Sivaratri-February/March->Vilakkezhunnellippu(lighting of 8000 Diyas of temple by devotees of 8 Kara's(Desam).

3. Sahasra Kalasam(Abhishekam with 100 pots consisting 1 gold pot,10 silver pot and remaining copper pots during 10 days.

Main Offerings for Lord Mahadeva:

Dhara, Muzhukkappu.Chatussatham

Art Work

The "DAARUSILPAS"(wood sculpture) seen around the temple belong to the 17th century.The wood carvings on the outer wall of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum), inner roof of Balickalpura and Namaskara Mandapam are excellent. The Temple itself is a beautiful specimen of Kerala style archetecture.

Hanuman Swami
The Hanumanswami Temple in the Temple complex is very famous. 


Main Festivals -

1.Hanumath Jayanthy, the birth anniversay of Lord Hanuman is also celebrated along with Thiruvutsavam (December- January)."Pushpa Radham" (Chariot decorated with full of flowers) is the main attraction on Hanumath Jayanthy day. The "Ghoshayaathra"(rally) starts from Njaliyil Bhagavathi Temple.

2.Pantrantukalabham - August (Abhishekam with Sandal paste)

Main Offerings for Lord Hanuman:

Vatamala , Aval Nivedyam (Aval Panthirunaazhi),Vettila mala,Thrikkai venna & Venna charthu.

Location: 6 Km from Thiruvalla town is well connected by other major cities by road and rail.Nearest towns are Pathanamthitta, Changanachery and Kottayam
Getting there:

The nearest railway station - Thiruvalla 
Nearest airport - Cochin International airport.

Njaliyil Bhagavathy Temple.


Njaliyil Bhagavathy temple located at Njalbhagom(Njalikandom)in kaviyoor panchayath.An oldest temple formerly owned by Naithallur Illam (famous Brahmin family-member of Pathillathil pottimaar in centra travancore)now taken care by public."Aswathy" in Makaram is the festival time and Thaalapoli is the important function. And Noottiyonnu Kalam ezhunnellippu(like Pongala) and Annadaanam are the other Vazhipaad during festval time.Padayani ,an ancient folk drama is the colour full event during the night.

Trikkukkudi Cave Temple

Located about 5 km east of Thiruvalla on the banks of the river Manimala. An ancient rock cut temple is located there, carved on a huge rock and the carved rooms and sculptures aore well preserved. The Kaviyoor Trikkukkudi Cave Temple, also known as the Rock Cut Cave Temple (kakkudy= kalkudy which means rock temple in malayalam), is of historical importance and is preserved as a monument by the Archaeological Department. It bears close resemblance to the Pallava style of architecture and has prompted historians to date it to a period as early as the 18th century AD. It was constructed during the rule of the Pallava dynasty who reigned over South India from 608 to 850 AD. Kaviyoor is famous for its temples.The engravings here are among the earliest specimens of stone sculptures in Kerala.The temple has a verandah with a sculpture of Lord Ganapathi carved into the wall and inner sanctum containing a tall shivalinga, all carved out a one huge rock. Enshrined in a square cave is the main deity of the shrine Lord Siva represented in the ' Sivalinga ' which is about three feet high and carved out of rock. The shrine also has idols of Ganapathy, Maharshi and Dwarapalakas.According to legend, the ghosts of Lord Shiva constructed the cave temple.

The cave is 18ft * 8ft and 8 and half ft high. There are two pillars and pilasters and they measure 8" * 8". The pillars are of the usual cave type with the bottom and top portions as cubes and the central an octagonal shaft.

There is no capital as such and it is surmounted by the usual corbel with horizontal roll ornament. The central shrine is a square cell. The cell is plain and devoid of all ornamentation with a cylindrical linga slipped on to the socket of the simple rectangular "yoni" pedestal. The door jambs appear to be later additions. The rectangular hall in front of the sanctum has two dwarapalakas, one on each side of the doorway.

The niches are flanked by pilasters supporting double brackets at their tops contiguous to the ceiling. The dwarapalakas in the niche to the left of the entrance is leaning aggressively on a club entwined by a cobra. His head dress is comical - Karantamakuta and beneath his locks fall in picturesquely on the shoulders. All the ornaments like necklaces, udarabanda, Keyuras, kankans are worn by him.

The dwarapalaka on the other niche strikes a different pose. He has his hands crossed on his breast and head slightly bent in a respectful attitude, and his hair is dressed like a jadamakuta. The northern and southern wings of the hall contain respectively a four handed Ganesa and a mendicant. His hair is in the top knot fashion peculiar to the west coast of state with a lower cloth hanging up to his knee. His arms are in akimbo and the left holds kamandulu. It is presumed that this rock cut temple came into existence during the Chera rule as inscriptions of Bhaskara Ravi Varman have been discovered in nearby temples.