Thiruvaloor Shiva temple is located at Alangadu, nearly five kilometers away from Alwaye in the Ernakulam district. This ancient Shiva temple is connected with Ramayana and is believed that Jadayu's tail ('Vaal' in Malayalam) had fallen in this place during the confrontation with Ravana. But the temple is more famous for its association with the legend of Surya Kaladi. It is one of the 108 Shiva temples consecrated by Lord Parasurama.
According to the legend, Surya Kaladi Namboodiri had breathed his last here, due to the curse of a Gandharva and his spouse, Yakshi. Surya Kaladi burnt Yakshi for killing his father and her hubby Gandharva for infecting the queen of Pallibanaperumal, the ruler of Kerala. Before succumbing to fire, they cursed Surya Kaladi that he would die in an atrocious manner and his days are numbered. As a chance to absolve Namboodiri of the curse, his rivals told that if Surya Kaladi could pray at Thiruvalur temple on the 12th day, he would be saved.
However, at the forenoon of the 12th day, temple priests heard a divine voice(Ashareeri) from the Thiruvalur Srikovil which ordered them to perform the Athazha Pooja (Final rite of the temple which is usually performed at night) at noon itself and to close the temple soon after that. In the afternoon of the 12th day, Surya Kalady arrived at Thiruvalur. However, he couldn't offer his worship to Thiruvaloorappan as the doors of the sanctum remain closed all through that day. The curse came true and Surya Kaladi had a terrible end. A typical urinary irritation started which soon aggravated within no time. In intense pain he had jumped up and down many a time and had bitten on the wooden roof of the temple. His teeth-marks on the roof and foot-marks on the floor were clearly visible on that very place before the recent renovation of the temple.
While writhing in that pathetic condition, Surya Kaladi cursed the lord of the temple, Thiruvaloorappan for his unfavorable attitude to the devotee. Namboodiri said that the temple would lose its divinity and will remain in that state for a long time. Namboodiri also said that the temple will regain its divinity only after the wilting of the Chempaka tree which stood on the north side of the temple. Due to the curse of Surya Kaladi, during the Malayalam year 1050-1055, the Srikovil was struck with a startling thunderbolt. The walls of the Srikovil and Garbhagriha was cracked. Even the top of the Shiva Linga was impaired.
Many years flew by and the Chempaka tree finally wilted and Thiruvaloorappan was absolved of the curse of Surya Kaladi. Another rarity of the temple is that Thiruvaloorappan is not accompanied by any of the sub-deities (other than Ganapathi) that we usually see in any other Shiva shrine across Kerala. When standing in front of the Srikovil, one would surely feel that he is before Mount Kailasa where Lord Shiva meditates in Padmasana. The temple is amply decorated with a number of carvings both in wood and in stone. The ceilings, pillars and walls are all embellished with marvelous figures. The story of Markandeya on the Namaskara Mandapa and the Pradosha Shiva on the West entrance are simply astounding.
There is a Rudraksha tree in the temple precincts with full of Rudraksha seeds, which is a very rare sight. The Shiva Linga in the temple is Agni Linga and deity faces towards South. Generally, South faced Shiva is worshipped as Dakshinamurthy and worshipping the deity will give abundant knowledge.
