The Cave Temple
A
rare entity among the temple architecture of Kerala, cave temples is few and
arouses great curiosity. The one at Ittiva at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district
is one such temple, virtually
carved out from a gigantic piece of rock, lying in the middle of a paddy field.
From a distance this architectural wonder gives the impression of a sleeping
elephant.
This rock cut temple represents the vibes of an ancient culture and also the
traditional artistic excellence prevalent at that time. The temple known as
Kottukal Kal Thrikovil Cave Temple has two square rooms with the main deity
of Lord Ganapathy in between. The other deities include Lord Siva in the form
of Siva Lingam, Hanuman and Nandikeswara. A Mandapam (roof) in front of one
of the rooms stands testimony to the skill of those who build this temple from
a single piece of rock. The temple premise also has a well that never dries
up.
Getting there:
By road: 10 km East of MC Road from Chadayamangalam.
Kerala Pilgrim Places
Parassinikadavu
Sri Muthappan Temple || Thodikkulam
Temple || The Cave Temple
|| Rameshwara Temple
|| Temples || Churches
|| Thiruvegappura
Sankaranarayana Temple || Thiruvegappura
Sankaranarayana Temple || Niranam
|| Malayalapuzha ||
Padmanabha
Swamy Temple || Varkala
|| Parasurama Temple
