Thirunakkara Shiva temple is situated at the heart of the city of Kottayam and is renowned as 'The Kohinoor of Kottayam'. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva here is considered as the family deity of erstwhile Thekkumkoor Kingdom comprised of Changanassery, Kanjirappally, Thiruvalla and Kottayam. In AD 1750, His Highness Marthanda Varma of Travancore conquered Thekkumkoor Kingdom and attached it to Travancore.
According to some, there are only two Shiva shrines in Kottayam, consecrated by Lord Parasurama, which are Thirunakkara Shiva temple(swayambhoo Linga idol) and Talikkotta Shiva temple(vigraha idol). Once upon a time, Talikkotta was the capital of Thekkumkoor kingdom and Talikkotta Shiva was the deity which they had worshiped. Emperor of Thekkumkoor built the Thirunakkara temple soon after shifting the headquarters from Talikkotta to Nattassery.
Inside the Garbagriha of the main rectangular Srikovil, Lord Shiva faces East. The roof of the sanctum is covered with copper. The Swayambhoo Shiva Linga is small and the top of it is uneven. The Shiva linga is covered permanently with a golden 'Golaka' in order to avoid further damages and will be removed only at the time of 'Ashtabandha Kalasa'. Eyes,nose and crescent are carved on to this Golaka. The idol is magnificently covered with garlands made of flowers and Vilwa leaves. On the left side of the Shiva Linga, there is a panchaloha idol of Sri Parvathi. The sub-deities of the temple are Ganapathy, Sastha, Muruga, Vadakumnathan, Durga and Brahmarakshassu. Ganapathy and Ayyappa faces east. There is a mugha mandapam in front of the shrine of Vadakumnathan. Brahmarakshassu is the only deity that faces west.
According to the lores, once there was a Thekkumkoor King who was an ardent devotee of Vadakumnathan. He made a visit to Sri Vadakumnatha temple every month. When he became old, his monthly travel to Trichur turned out to be a herculean task and had to be stopped. He was very sad due to this and cried fervently to his Lord to take his life. Having pleased by the King's devotion, Vadakumnathan decided to stay near to the home of his devotee. Eventually, Vadakumnathan appeared in King's dream and told him that he would come to 'Nakkarakunnu' in the form of a swayambhoo linga and as a symbol of his divine occurrence, King would be able see an ox in the front and a white thechi plant in the back of the Linga. Thus, Vadakumnathan aka the Lord of the North, manifested at Kottayam. Nandi aka Ox of Shiva is worshipped here as a sub-deity. The tantric rights of the temple are vested with Tharananelloor Mana.
On the four main entrances, one could see large Gopurams. The golden flag-mast of the temple is virtually a treat for the eyes. There is a Koothambalam on the south side of the temple. One could see some fabulous mural works, carvings and a multitude of sculptures in front of the Balikkalpura and Srikovil. Some portraits that worth a watch are Sastha on the southern wall, incarnation of Narasimha on the western wall, Tripurasundari's procession, Parvathi's penance, Brahma on the northern wall, Durga, churning of the Ocean of Milk, playing of the Flute by Krishna etc. Some major events of the Ramayana are carved on to the walls of the Koothambalam.
There are three festivals celebrated in this temple - in Thulam(six days with Avittam Aarattu), Meenam and Mithunam(eight days with Uthrittathi Aarattu). The festival that falls in the month of Meenam is considered as the main festival. It usually lasts for a period of ten days.
Inside the Garbagriha of the main rectangular Srikovil, Lord Shiva faces East. The roof of the sanctum is covered with copper. The Swayambhoo Shiva Linga is small and the top of it is uneven. The Shiva linga is covered permanently with a golden 'Golaka' in order to avoid further damages and will be removed only at the time of 'Ashtabandha Kalasa'. Eyes,nose and crescent are carved on to this Golaka. The idol is magnificently covered with garlands made of flowers and Vilwa leaves. On the left side of the Shiva Linga, there is a panchaloha idol of Sri Parvathi. The sub-deities of the temple are Ganapathy, Sastha, Muruga, Vadakumnathan, Durga and Brahmarakshassu. Ganapathy and Ayyappa faces east. There is a mugha mandapam in front of the shrine of Vadakumnathan. Brahmarakshassu is the only deity that faces west.
According to the lores, once there was a Thekkumkoor King who was an ardent devotee of Vadakumnathan. He made a visit to Sri Vadakumnatha temple every month. When he became old, his monthly travel to Trichur turned out to be a herculean task and had to be stopped. He was very sad due to this and cried fervently to his Lord to take his life. Having pleased by the King's devotion, Vadakumnathan decided to stay near to the home of his devotee. Eventually, Vadakumnathan appeared in King's dream and told him that he would come to 'Nakkarakunnu' in the form of a swayambhoo linga and as a symbol of his divine occurrence, King would be able see an ox in the front and a white thechi plant in the back of the Linga. Thus, Vadakumnathan aka the Lord of the North, manifested at Kottayam. Nandi aka Ox of Shiva is worshipped here as a sub-deity. The tantric rights of the temple are vested with Tharananelloor Mana.
On the four main entrances, one could see large Gopurams. The golden flag-mast of the temple is virtually a treat for the eyes. There is a Koothambalam on the south side of the temple. One could see some fabulous mural works, carvings and a multitude of sculptures in front of the Balikkalpura and Srikovil. Some portraits that worth a watch are Sastha on the southern wall, incarnation of Narasimha on the western wall, Tripurasundari's procession, Parvathi's penance, Brahma on the northern wall, Durga, churning of the Ocean of Milk, playing of the Flute by Krishna etc. Some major events of the Ramayana are carved on to the walls of the Koothambalam.
There are three festivals celebrated in this temple - in Thulam(six days with Avittam Aarattu), Meenam and Mithunam(eight days with Uthrittathi Aarattu). The festival that falls in the month of Meenam is considered as the main festival. It usually lasts for a period of ten days.
