Ernakulam Shiva Temple, also known as Ernakulathappan Temple, is one of the major temples of Kerala, located in Ernakulam, Kochi, Kerala, India. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is considered to be the temple of the city, with its presiding deity being the protector of the city. The deity is also fondly called Ernakulathappan, meaning Lord of Ernakulam.
History and Architecture of Ernakulam Shiva Temple
The main deity of the temple is Shiva in the Gaurishankar form, who is located in the main sanctum, which faces west towards the Arabian Sea. The Lingam located in the main sanctum is considered to be Swayambhu (divine derivative). On the northern side of the main sanctum there is a small shrine of Kirthamurthy, which is believed to be the original lingam worshiped by Arjun.
On the southern side, there is a small temple for Ganesha, the son of Shiva. There is a small area behind the main sanctum, which is believed to be the temple of Parvati, the wife of Shiva, hence the eastern gate is known as the Devi Gate. Outside the inner temple complex, Ayyappa and Nagaraja are worshiped in the temples.
The Cheranallur Kartha family of South Chittor was the founder of the Ernakulam Shiva temple. According to Devprashna, this temple is related to Vaishnavas. Jadavedan Nampoothiri was the master of Ernakulam Shiva Temple and Thiruvananthapuram Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. He was a member of the Cheranallur Kartha family of South Chittoor.
The entire temple is situated in 1.2 acres (4,900 m2) of land. This temple is built in typical Kerala temple architecture. The sanctum sanctorum complex is circular and has intricate carvings on its walls. The roof is covered with copper tiles. The temple has two gateways, the western gopuram is a two-storey structure in typical Kerala architecture with peaked roofs and slanted windows.
Ernakulam Shiva Temple Darshan Timings
The temple is open throughout the week and darshan timings are from 3:30 am to 8 pm.
Main Festivals of Ernakulam Shiva Temple
The annual festival of Ernakulam Shiva Temple is celebrated in the month of Makaram (Malayalam calendar) (late January and February) and Shivaratri is the major festival. Thousands of devotees come to Ernakulathappan temple and perform puja/aarti, abhishekam and also go for darshan.
How to reach Ernakulam Shiva Temple?
You can easily reach Ernakulam Shiva Temple by road, train and air. The nearest airport is Kochi International Airport. The nearest railway station to the temple is Ernakulam Railway Station, the distance from the railway station to the temple is 1.1 kilometres.
Gauri Shankar
Deep Mala
3:30 AM - 8 PM
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