Vadakkumnathan Temple

Vadakkumnathan Temple of Thrissur is a classic example of Kerala architecture that is soaked in beauty and exquisiteness. This 1000 years old temple is surrounded by enormous stone wall and covers an area of 9 acres. The temple consists of 4 ‘gopurams’ that face towards all the directions. Nalambalam, a multi-shrine complex is located in the center of the temple and has shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in form of Vadakkumnathan, Shankaranarayana or Hari-Hara (a combined form of Shiva and Vishnu) and Lord Rama. 

There is a circular structure on the northern side of the Vadakkumnathan Temple, which has an idol of Goddess Parvati that faces towards east and stands behind the statue of Lord Shiva. The temple has a two-storied rectangular structure with shrine of Lord Rama located towards the south. There is also a circular and double-storied shrine dedicated to Lord Sankaranarayana and it lies between the two ‘sreekovils’ (sanctum sanctorum) in the temple complex. The temple has ‘mukhamandapams’ in front of all the three shrines. The walls of Vadakkumnathan Temple depict finely painted mural paintings of Mahabharata and poses of Lord Shiva. 

The temple has a theatre hall towards its left, known as Koothambalam. The theatre hall is unique in its style with its roof made from copper plates and contains fine vignettes of wood carvings and interesting bracket figures. The 41 day special program of "Koothu" (mythological story telling) and "Koodiyattom" (ancient form of dramatic dance) are staged here annually. 

So visit Vadakkumnathan Temple and spend some peaceful moments in its serene atmosphere and rich architecture.

Best time to visit

Vadakkumnathan Temple can be visited any time of the year; however, the best time to visit Thrissur is from October to February as these are the most pleasant months to travel here.

Trivia

It is said that Adi Shankara attained Videha Mukti (Freedom from embodiment) in Vadakkumnathan temple.

Timing

Vadakkumnathan Shiva Temple opens for darshan from 3:00 am to 8:30 pm daily.