Mammiyoor Mahadeva Temple, Guruvayur (108 Shiva Temple)

Mammiyoor Temple, a Shiva temple known for its beautiful paintings and the exquisite sculptures, every visitor to Guruvayur Krishna temple usually adds this temple too, because of the inter connecting legend. The idol of Sri Krishna of Guruvayoor temple first adorned a big temple in Dwaraka installed none other than by lord Krishna himself in the Dwapara Yuga. During Swargarohana, lord Krishna handed over the idol to Uddhava to have it installed in a sacred place with the help of Brihaspati, the guru of the Devas and Vayu, the Wind God. In accordance with Krishna's instructions, they came upon a sacred place where lord Shiva was steeped in meditation for ages. Lord Shiva, knowing the mission of Guru and Vayu moved a kilometer away to Mammiyoor there by allowing the Sri Krishna idol to be installed in the sacred place which henceforth came to be known as Guruvayoor.

It is a belief that a pilgrimage to Guruvayoor would not be complete without having worshiped Mammiyoor Mahadeva. As per another version of the legend, lord Krishna in the form of a baby was floating on a banyan leaf on the giant waves caused during cosmic dissolution. Guru and Vayu stumbled over him, who gave them the idol that he himself worshipped to be installed in a sacred place. Guru and Vayu found Lord Shiva immersed in penance for ages at a sacred spot. Lord Shiva moved to this place. The unique feature of this temple is that it enshrines the idol of lord Vishnu in a sanctum sanctorum, next to that of lord Shiva making this as the only temple in Kerala, where lord Shiva and lord Vishnu are worshipped in equal status.