Ernakulam Pilgrim Centre

Shiva Temple

Popularly known as Ernakulathappan, this temple in Kerala facing Rajendra Maidan, is associated with the birth of the name of the city and is a most popular pilgrim centres in Kerala. Lord Shiva is the main deity of this temple, which is one of the rare Shiva temples in Kerala where the deity faces west towards the sea. The temple also has the Shiva and Parvati idols in Kiratha forms. The lingam is claimed to be swayambhoo, self created.

The annual festival that is celebrated for eight days during January- February concludes with the Arattu processions when the image of the deity is taken for a ritual bath in the temple pool accompanied by caparisoned elephants and the instruments of anchavadyam playing. A cultural festival is also conducted in the temple premises with a wide variety of programmes such as musical concerts and classical dance performances.

Chottanikkara Temple

This temple in Kerala enshrines Goddess Bhagavathi in three reversed forms. As Sarasvati (the goddess of learning) in the morning, draped in white; Bhadrakaali (fierce and destructive) at noon, dressed in crimson; and Durga (divine mother) in the evening decked up in blue.

Numerous stories are attested to this early 10th century temple, where tormented devotees find solace. Today it remains one of the most popular pilgrim centres in Kerala where devotees flock to the goddess is believed to cure such ailments. In a battle between the demon and the deity, devotees dance themselves into frenzy. There is a tree that is covered with long iron nails hammered on it by afflicted devotees with their foreheads. The practice of driving an iron nail into this tree indicates that the spirit is permanently made immobile.