Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple is one of the important Siva temples in Kerala, located in Kaviyoor, Tiruvalla Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. It is commonly called
Thrikkaviyoor Mahadeva Temple. The main deity is Lord Mahadeva (Shiva) with Parvathi.The temple is well known for the Hanuman temple situated inside the temple complex.
Kaviyoor Temple is one of the important Special Grade temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple is situated 200 meters west of Kaviyoor Junction in Changancherry- Kaviyoor Road, even though the main deity here is lord Shiva,Hanuman is also worshipped
with significance. About five kilometres from SCS Junction in Tiruvalla. It is situated on a small hillock, and 21 wide steps leads to the majestic east Gopuram. The main entrance
leads to a lengthy Anakkottil. The eastern courtyard is adorned by a Golden dhwaja( flagmast) and two high lamp-masts on either side. The fortified area is of 2 acres. The outer wall
is of medium height and is made of Laterite, which was plastered with cement in recent times. The outer wall is centuries old according to records. There are Gopurams in the southern
and western side. In the northern side a long Oottupura is situated. In the north east side there is a pool for the use of priests. Outside the temple complex, in the western side is
the Keezhthrikkovil Maha Vishnu Temple. There is large lake in the west, which is named Polachira. The Polachira lake was once belonged to the Kaviyoor Temple, but it is now under the
control of Fisheries department, and an inland fish-seed farm functions here.
Though according to the main legend, this temple belongs to Treta Yuga, its actual time of construction is not known. But architectural styles represents the early stages of Kerala temple
architecture. The basement of the sanctum sanctorum belongs to the early 10th century or older. Several prominent historians share this opinion says that the presence of two 10th century
inscriptions surely certifies this. It is believed to have been constructed in the early years of the 10th century.
One of the inscriptions is of Kali Era 4051( AD 951) and the second one belongs to Kali Era 4052(AD952).The first inscription is about a donation of acres of land to Lord Shiva of Kaviyoor by Makilancheri Thevan Chennan. The Second inscription describes a land donation by two persons named Magalathu Naryanan Keyavan and Mangalathu Narayanan Kittiran. The total lands donated according to these inscriptions are believed to be equal to 202 acres and was spread over the areas of Kidangara, Kottenkari, Kumarankari and Eera- places several kilometers away from Kaviyoor. These inscriptions are among the oldest inscriptions found in Kerala and bear huge historical importance.Kaviyoor was one of the 64 Brahmin villages in the Parasurama’s Kerala 32 Thulu villages and 32 Malayalam villages. The Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple was the Gramakshethra (village temple) of Kaviyoor Gramam. The temple was administered by ten Brahmin families known as Pathillathil potties and was taken over by the Travancore State Government in the year 1899 (ME 1075). As per records The Kaviyoor Temple takeover had added a huge wealth to the Travancore treasury since the take-over of more than 2500 temples in the ME 976 (about 100 before the accession of Kaviyoor temple), by Col. Monroe. The Take over/ accession
of ME 976 has yielded more than 1,600,000 paras of paddy and almost 50,000 rupees money to the Travancore Treasury (at that time the Travancore King has accessed several major temples of Travancore state including the famous Temples of Kanyakumari, Sucheendram, Thiruvattar, Varkala, Harippad, Ampalappuzha, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Aranmula, Ettumanoor & Vaikom) while Kaviyoor Temple’s annual revenue was 9201 para paddy and 23,334.75fanams(Madras fanam).The Kaviyoor Temple was accessed to the Travancore State as the 12th First class Major Temple with its enormous wealth, including tens of thousands of acres of fertile lands, tens of thousands of rupees and the huge collection of worthy treasures.
According to the revised pathiv (business) of Kaviyoor temple,there were 16 attaviseshams (annual festivals). But as of now the main annual festivals are Panthrantukalabham in Chingam Kanni (July), Ayilyam (September), Thiruvuthsavam (annual festival- December–January), Hanumath Jayanthy (December–January), Uthrittathi Attathirunal (January), Sivarathri( February–March), Kalabhaabhishekam (April) and Sahsrakalasam (May–June).
Panthrantu Kalabham was started in 1951 for Lord Hanuman as wished by Sri Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma, in memory of the renovation and upgrading of the Hanuman Temple. The festival starts on the first day of Malayalam month Chingam and ends on the twelfth day. The Ayilyam in maylayalam month kanni is for the serpent gods.
The main festival of Lord Mahadeva is in the Malayalam month of Dhanu( December- January) attracts thousands of devotees from all over the central Travancore region and is of ten-day duration. The idol of the lord is taken atop caparisoned elephant to various places which are related to the temple from the second day to the sixth day of the festival. From the seventh day onward the rituals are held only inside the temple premises. On the tenth day, the Idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi are taken in a grant procession to the Manimala river for Arat.
There is another annual festival in Malayalam month Dhanu (December–January) related to the Hanuman temple, called HanumathJyanthi. This festival also attracts thousands of devotees.
In the month of Makaram (January–February) Uthrittathi thirunal is celebrated in memory of the consecration of the Sri Moolarajeswary idol. In Malayalam month Kumbham (February–March) Shivarathri is celebrated with various rituals. The 8000 lamps on the wall of the Nalambalam are lighted by seven regions of Kaviyoor and Kunnamthanam villages. Sahasrakalasam is a festival with high importance. This 11 day was started in ME1082 (AD1907).
