Ernakulam Shiva Temple | God faces towards Sea

The history of this shrine is linked with the history of the city. The present structure of the Ernakulam Shiva Temple was constructed in the midst of the 19th century by royal Cochin rulers. The legend of this temple relates with Arjuna, the third Pandava ruler of the epic Mahabharata. Once Arjuna got into a battle with lord Shiva, who was testing his devotion in the guise of a Kirata or a tribal. After being defeated by the tribal, Arjuna made a Shiva linga in mud and started praying. Pleased with his devotion, Shiva blessed Arjuna and presented him with the Pashupatastra. However, the idol made by Arjuna remained lost in the forest till a sage named ‘Devala’ found it. He had a snake's body because of a curse and once he started worshipping the idol for redemption.

The pond in which Devala bathed after being cured is known as Rishinagakulam. Sprawled over an area of 1.2 acres in the city, the temple is elegantly adorned in typical Kerala style of architecture. The presiding deity lord Shiva is called in the name ‘Ernakulathappan’ is facing towards the sea. The roof is shrouded with copper tiles and has two gates. It is believed to shelter the real lingam worshipped by Arjuna. The southern side of the temple has a small shrine of lord Ganesha. Located behind the main sanctum is an idol of Goddess Parvati. There is also a small shrine of Lord Murugan which is of Tamil architecture. The temple also offers the pilgrims the blessings of lord Ayyappa and Nagaraja. The annual festival usually falls during January or February and it happens over 8 days. The temple is under the maintenance of Cochin Devaswom Board.