Trikkur Mahadeva Temple is a rock-cut cave temple in

Trikkur Trikkur is a village in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated on the eastern bank of Manali river. Demographics India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating infor ...

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in Thrissur District in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a 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 regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

believed to have been built in the 7th or 8th century. Being a cave temple, Buddhist and Jain monks used the site to meditate alongside the Hindu monks. It is a protected

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

under the Department of

Archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, Govt of Kerala since 1966. The temple and its premises are now owned by

Paliyam Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan is the name given to the oldest male member of the Paliam royal family, a Nair/ Menon chieftain family from the Indian state of Kerala who were elevated to the status of royalty by the Rajah of Kingdom of Cochin ( ...

Trust which is managed by Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti (Temple Protection Committee).Dept of Archaeology, Govt of Kerala : Monuments at a Glance (Retrieved on 17 February 2009) The main deity of this temple is Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

a.k.a. Mahadeva, as the name suggests. It is believed that the huge Shivalinga here was consecrated by Lord

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

. Thus, it is believed that Lord Agni always worships Lord Shiva, and he accompanies him. Due to this belief, the idol is not carried outside for processions on rainy days. The temple is located on the top of the hillock inside a 30 feet long and 12 feet broad natural cave. The huge Shiva Linga is at the southern end of the cave, just above this there is a waterhole that never dries even in the hottest days during summers. The Shiva Linga faces the east, but the door of the Garbhagriha is faced towards North. The Linga is in the center, fixed on to a rectangular pedestal. There is an evergreen pond on the top of the rock. Since 1966, the temple is a protected monument under the Department of Archaeology.

Architecture

The Sanctum of the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

is located inside the cave which is 12 feet long and 8 feet wide. In front of the sanctum, there is a Mugha

mandapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

, entirely carved in the rock with beautiful artistry. Although the deity looks east during Darshan, the devotees can only see the right side of the

Lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , 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. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...

. (“Parshwa Darshan”.) The goddess

Parvathi Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...

also resides there, perpetually to Lord Shiva, personifying knowledge. Lord Ganapathi's image is carved on the wall of the cave towards the west side of the sanctuary. The rock-laden soil and the Namasakara Mandapa, built from 16 pillars made of rock, present a large number of beautiful sculptures. To the north of the temple is a hall where

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...

Pooja and Chakyar Koothu are led during Navratri and many religious events respectively.

References

{{Hindu temples in Kerala 108 Shiva Temples Caves of Kerala Hindu cave temples in India Shiva temples in Kerala Hindu temples in Thrissur district Jain temples in Kerala 7th-century Jain temples ml:തൃക്കൂർ മഹാദേവക്ഷേത്രം