Annamanata Temple, located at Mukundapuram by the side of Chalakkudi river, is one of the biggest temples of Thrissur district. Unfortunately, this great temple, is not famous on other parts of Kerala. The temple is 10 km south of Chalakkudy on the Maala route (5 km from Maala). This temple is a part of the ancient Adoor Grama(village) established by Lord Parasurama. Hence this temple is one of the 108 sivalayas built by Parasurama. Being one of the thirty two grama kshetras in the Kerala coast, the temple is above 1200 years old for sure.Earlier the temple was being administered by about 12 namboothiri families who were the traditional 'uranmas' of the temple. Subsequently, by the middle of the 18th century, their power over the temple was usurped by the Zamorin of Kozhikode. Cochin rulers (in whose territory the temple was situated) successfully colluded with Travancore to oust the Zamorin from the governance of the temple. The namboothiris of the 'gramasanketham' who didn't relish the overall administration of Cochin kingdom, surrendered the governing rights of the temple to the Travancore rulers. Travancore claimed and exercised sovereignty over the temple for about a century.
Cochin rulers approached the British East India Company to mediate in their dispute with Travancore regarding the governance of the temple. By 1814-15, the East India Company, who were meddling with the affairs of the princely states, ruled that Cochin had sovereign rights over the Adoor Grama and the Annamanata temple, but certain special rights of the temple will remain with Travancore state. Later, considering the difficulty of exercising those special rights in a foreign territory, Travancore bestowed those rights as well upon the Cochin rulers in 1902. Now the temple is being administered by the Cochin Devaswom Board.
The main access to the temple is from the western side. The temple faces east. Entering through the east, one comes across an astonishingly low Valiabalikkal just in front of the agramandapam. While generally, the height of the principal bali peetha is equal to the height of the basement of the Sreekovil, here the uppermost layer alone projects outside the base to a height equal to the lowermost square of the basement of Sreekovil.
As one enters the inner yard of the temple. There is no 'namaskara mandapa' in front of the Sreekovil. The sanctum is square in shape. The false-doors on the south and west are utilised for the consecration of Ganapathy and Parvathy respectively. Underneath the false-door on the north runs the granite pranala supported on a dwarf figurine.
The Sanctum Sanctorum contains Shiva linga, almost four feet tall and is considered to be Kiratamoorthy in a pleased state, while giving Pashupatastra to Arjuna. The mugha mandapa in front is enclosed on the three sides with horizontal wooden slats fixed on outwardly sloping carved wooden frames. The upper floor walls of the mukha mandapa are made up of intricately carved wood panelling. Both the sanctum as well as the abutting mugha mandapa are two-tiered in structure, covered over with copper sheets.
There are two thidappallies(temple kitchen) forming part of the nalambalam on either side of the main sanctum. Through a door on the northern side of the nalambalam, opposite the pranala one comes to an enclosure which contains the circular shrikovil of Vishnu with a square namaskara mandapa in front supporting a pyramidal roof. Both the structures have tiled roof.
In front of the Agra mandapa is the extraordinary valiabalikkal, beyond which on the eastern side is the Aanakottil with a tiled roof and a flagmast piercing its roof. On the outer yard are located the Shasta facing west on the southern side of the nalambalam and the Goshala Krishnan adjoining the western boundary wall in the south-west corner. In the north-east corner of the outer yard are located the tank and the oottupura(dining hall). The entire yard is enclosed by a tall compound-wall pierced with openings to the four cardinal directions, of which those in the east and the west are decorated with gopurams with two-tiered tiled roof possessing carved ceilings.
Outside the eastern gopuram, on its south is situated the Mahakaali and on the north-east are the abodes of Nagaraja, Durga mounted on lion, Narasimha and Krishna with a large tank in between. The Annamanata river flows facing the eastern facade at a distance of around 500 metres, where the Aarattu of the Lord takes place on the concluding day of the annual festival.
The sinking of the valiabalikkal is attributed to the traditional explanation that it was ordained by the Lord himself for affording clear view from outside the nalambalam to a member of the legendary 'Parayi petta Pandirukulam'.
Annamanata Mahadeva Temple is a big temple by all criteria, though less popular and known outside Thrissur district. It has all the constituent units needed to get into that most coveted list. Five poojas and three shreebalis constitute the daily worship routine. Pradoshams, Shivarathri and Ardra days are of special significance. With three Vishnu consecrations, Ashtami rohini also is of importance in this temple.
The annual festival in Kumbhom (February-March) lasting for ten days is celebrated with pomp and pageantry and culminates in the aarattu on Ardra asterism. The tantric rites of the temple are vested with Kuttalakattu and Avanaparambu manas.
The namaskara mandapa which is usually present in all the big temples is conspicuous by its absence.
The temple has also contributed to the promotion of Koothu, Koodiyattom and Kathakali. Out of the 18 traditional Chakyar families of Kerala, the Mekkattu family had its original habitat near Annamanata temple. Later, this family along with two other families - Valia Parisha of Ambalapuzha and Cheria Parisha of Kidangoor merged with the Kazhakuttom chakyars.
Cheria parisha Parameswara chakyar is credited with the formulation of Mantrankom Koothu of Bhasa in current format in the Annamanata temple in the latter half of nineteenth century. In the absence of a Koothambalam, the valiambalam was the venue for staging plays and Annamanata temple is one of the two temples in Kerala where such marathon performance of Koothu used to be held in the Valiambalam in front of the main sanctum.
