Rajarajeshwara Temple

The Rajarajeshwara Temple is a Hindu temple in Taliparamba, Kannur district, Kerala, India, dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. It had the tallest shikhara amongst the temples of its time. The Rajarajeshwara temple has a top of about 90 tonnes.

According to legend, the temple was originally established by Sage Parashurama long before the start of the Kali Yuga, with Vishwakarma (the architect of the gods) designing it and Sage Agastya performing the consecration. The modern structure and major renovations date back to the early 11th century (around 1010 AD), with significant contributions, maintenance, and development carried out by the Mushika dynasty (Kolathiri) kings. The quadrangular sanctum has a two-tiered pyramidal roof; in front of the sanctum is the namaskara mandapam, but the temple has no kodi maram (flagstaff), unlike others in Kerala. Only Hindus are permitted to enter. A widespread belief surrounding the temple holds that since it originated as a Jain temple before being converted following the decline of Jainism in North Malabar, the spiritual energy of Jain tantra remains present, conflicting with its contemporary practices. Consequently, it is believed that a curse from the original deities causes anyone who visits to promote the current deity or support the temple's modern expansion to suffer a swift downfall. High-profile examples include former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, and former Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa. Allegations suggest that rival competitors bribed astrologers to advise these prominent leaders to visit the temple, ultimately precipitating their loss of power.