ETTUMANUR MAHADEVA TEMPLE

ETTUMANUR MAHADEVA TEMPLE

Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple is a famous Shiva temple in Kottayam Dist., Kerala.

In ancient times, Sree Parameshwara created a deer (‘Harina’) and also made an island in the sea (‘Harinadweep’) for it to roam about. When Parasurama created Kerala from the sea, the aforementioned island also became part of the newly created land. The original island now came to be called Harinapura.  Much later, Kharaprakasha Maharshi (Kharasura) received divine knowledge (Shaiva Vidya Upadesh) from Malyavan. He had a pupil named Pingala. After the student’s education was completed, when the customary time arrived to seek Gurudakshina, seeing that Pingala was penniless, Kharasura graciously stated that he did not seek anything from his disciple. Pingala was ashamed to hear this and with wounded pride kept on insisting that his Guru should ask him for something. Pingala’s persistence became unbearable to the point that, in a fit of anger, Kharasura asked for 180 billion pieces of gold sovereigns. Of course, the disciple was speechless, stunned and heart-broken. Seeing Pingala’s quandary, Guru’s heart was filled with pity and compassion. He promised to help his distressed pupil. They traveled to Harinadweep and performed intense austerities to Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva). Vishnu appeared first and asked what boon they were seeking. Pingala asked for and received 180 billion gold pieces. He promptly offered them to his Guru. Shiva appeared next and Kharasura performed abhishekam on Shiva using all the gold he received. Shiva, pleased with the maharshi’s devotion offered the same amount of gold to him. Then, Kharasura used the gold to perform abhishekam on Vishnu. Shiva also presented him with three divine and precious Lingas. At this time, Pingala left, having fulfilled his duty. Kharasura consecrated the Shiva Linga in his left hand at Harinapura (The other two are at Vaikom and Kaduthuruthy temples).

The original Shiva Linga lay buried in dirt. One day, a Harijan lady (Mannathi) while digging for edible roots with her sickle struck the buried Linga. Seeing blood ooze from the stone, she panicked and threw away her sickle and basket. The sickle fell at a place currently called Kovilppaadam. Her basket fell at present-day Pattithanam near Ettumanoor. Shiva arose from the linga in anger and cursed her into a rock (Mannathikkallu), which can still be seen near Kattampak Kottaram Devi temple. Next, a conch arose from the earth next to where Shiva appeared. These two areas can still be seen as depressions (Devan piranna kuzhi, Shankhu piranna kuzhi). Later, the Shiva Linga was brought to its current location. The linga still shows the ancient groove mark made by the sickle. Every morning, after abhishekam, this crack is sealed with sandalwood paste.

After a long time, the great sage and disciple of Veda Vyasa, Lomaharshana came to the temple to offer his prayers to Mahadeva. While going to take a dip at the temple tank, he slipped and fell. Some of the locals saw him fall and laughed mockingly. The enraged sage cursed that Harinapura would turn into an uninhabitable jungle for a thousand years. So it lay without any human activity, unnoticed and abandoned, until the famous Vilwamangalathu Swamiyar happened to pass near this place. Thanks to his divine vision, he sensed the whole area being covered with Shiva’s matted hair (Jadaabharam). Not daring to step on Shiva’s body, he crawled on his knees searching until he found the old Shiva Linga. Thereafter, he oversaw the renovation of the temple and established the poojas and other rituals in their current form.

The administration of the temple eventually passed into the hands of eight Brahmin houses (Manaas). This was followed by years of prolonged power struggles among landlords, feudal chieftains and Brahmins for control of temple affairs. Eventually, in the year 929 of Malayalam Era, its administration was handed to the Maharajah of Travancore. 

Dharsan timings:

4 am.-12 noon - 5 pm to 8.30 pm.