Monday, December 7, 2009

Kallil Temple :: Kallil Bhagavathy Kshethram Perumbavoor Cochin Kerala (Visit www.kalliltemple.com)

Kallil Temple (Kallil Bhagavathy Kshethram) is 23 km away from Kalady, the birth place of Aadi Sankaracharya. It is a 9th century Jain Temple in Kerala, South India. Kallil is malayalam for 'In Stone'.


The temple, located in 28 acre (113,000 m²) plot, is cut from a huge rock and a climb of 120 steps leads to the temple. To reach the temple one has to travel a distance of about 2 km from Odakkali, on the Aluva Munnar Road and 10 km from Perumbavoor. The temple is owned by the Kallil Pisharody family. The present Karanavar of the family turned over all the administrative control of the temple and all its belongings Kallil Pisharom.


Durgadevi is the main deity of the temple. The idol of Brahma is seen carved at the top of the rock. Brahma is also worshipped along with Siva and Vishnu. The temple closes after Poojas at noon every day and poojas are not being done at night. The annual festival of the temple is conducted eight days starting from the 'Karthika day' in Vrischikam (November-December). The procession is being conducted by carrying the idol of thedeity on a female elephant.


The Jain deities of Parshvanath, Mahavira and Padmavati devi (worshipped as Bhagawathi by the local population) point to the Jain antecedents of the Kallil Pisharody.