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Aazhimala Siva Temple – 58 feet Tall statue of Lord Shiva

Aazhimala Siva Temple

Aazhimala Siva Temple is located in the picturesque village of Aazhimala, Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The temple has been built on a cliff on the shores of the Arabian Sea. The temple was originally known as Aazhimala Pulinkudi Sri Mahadev Temple. There are numerous caves on the cliff and the temple is in one of them. The temple provides amazing views of the beautiful golden beach below, the sea with its rolling waves and miles of coastline.

58 feet tall Shiva Statue

Recently there has been a new addition to this temple. A 58 feet tall statue of Lord Shiva in a seated position has been sculpted. It is known as  Gangadhareshwara and took seven years to be completed. The statue was the dream of the temple priest – Jyotish Potti, which has now been fulfilled. 

Lord Shiva can be seen adorned in His traditional snakes and rudraksha Malas. Maa Ganga can be seen in His Jata (Matted Locks of Hair). He is holding a Trishul in one hand and a Damru in the other. Lord Shiva’s hairs are flowing with the wind. The statue has been built on a rock about 20 feet above the ground. The statue has been sculpted by P S Devadathan, a resident of the village and a graduate of the College of Fine Arts. He made the statue from concrete keeping in mind the sea wind and wind load in mind.

Aazhimala Siva Temple History

‘Aazhi’ means Sea and ‘Mala’ means rocks. This translates to a temple that is between the rocks and the sea. Local folklore says the Pandavas visited this place during their exile from Hastinapur. There is a freshwater stream coming from one of the caves. It is said this was created by Pandava Bhim in order to quench Draupadi’s thirst.

Naranga Vilakku

The temple celebrates its main festival in January/February and is known as Naranga Vialkku. During this festival, thousands of devotees gather near the temple. They light a lamp on a lemon as an offering. In the evening hundreds and thousands of such lamps can be seen on the seashore from the temple above. Some may think the stars have fallen down!

Aazhimala Siva Temple Timings

05:00 AM to 09:00 AM

05:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Where to Stay

There are a number of hotels and guest houses in and near Aazhimala temple. Homestay options are also available. One can even stay in Trivandrum, visit the temple and return.

How to reach Aazhimala Siva Temple

Aazhimala has located 21 km from Trivandrum Central Railway Station.

Trivandrum Airport is about 20 km from the temple.

Transport from Trivandrum is easily available.

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Ranjit Nayak
Ranjit Nayak
2 years ago

What other places available nearby

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