Duration
2 Days / 1 Night
Region
South Kerala
Best Time to Visit
Year-round
About This Pilgrimage
A South Kerala circuit linking Sivagiri Mutt's hilltop samadhi with two of Chavara's most distinctive goddess shrines, Kottarakkara's famous Ganapathy temple and Oachira's open air shrine with no idol.
Destinations You'll Visit
The Destinations on This Route
A little background on each place this pilgrimage takes you to.
Sivagiri Mutt
Sivagiri Mutt, on a hill near Varkala, is the headquarters of the movement founded by social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, built around his samadhi, a meditation hall and an institution promoting his teachings.
Kattil Mekkathil Devi Temple
Kattil Mekkathil Devi Temple, a coastal shrine to the goddess Bhadrakali in Chavara, is known for the Mani Nercha ritual, in which devotees offer small bells for a child's health or speech development.
Kottankulangara Sree Devi Temple
Kottankulangara Sree Devi Temple in Chavara is best known for its Chamayavilakku festival, when devotees dress in traditional female attire and carry lit lamps to the temple as an offering to the goddess.
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Temple
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Temple is dedicated to Lord Ganapathy and is famous for its unniyappam, a sweet fried rice and jaggery offering that is the temple's signature prasadam. The town is also associated with Kottarakkara Thampuran, the prince credited with composing Ramanattam, the performance tradition from which Kathakali later developed.
Oachira Parabrahma Temple
Oachira Parabrahma Temple, near Karunagappally, is unusual among Kerala's temples because it has no idol and no roofed sanctum. The Parabrahma, the formless supreme, is worshipped in the open. It is known for the Oachirakali, a ritual mock battle held in the Malayalam month of Mithunam, and for Panthrandu Vilakku, a twelve day festival of lamps in Vrischikam.
Highlights
- Hilltop samadhi shrine
- Distinctive local goddess rituals
- Kottarakkara's famous unniyappam prasadam
- Open air temple with no idol at Oachira
Includes
- Hotel stay
- Private cab
- Local sightseeing
- Temple visit assistance