Ettumanoor Temple

Ettumanoor temple is located 12 Kms north of Kottayam Town and is an antique temple. The deity here is Lord Shiva. It is a 16th century temple and the main attraction is that it is a Mural art centre. The temple is a specimen of the indigenous Kerala style of architecture. The copper plated conical roof of the central shrine, is in itself a majestic structure. The shrine is inlaid with beautiful carvings of scenes from the Ramayana, Bhagavatha and Krishna Leela. The temple is also endowed with an exquisite collection of Mural paintings and sculptures, depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The Mural Art Centre, near the temple is preserved by the Archaeological division of the state. The ten-day yearly festival, 'Ezharaponnaana Ezhunallathu' falls in February/ March. The last day 'Arathi' falls on the day of Thiruvathira. Legend has it that Khara  (of the Khara Dhooshana demon duo) of Ramayana worshipped Shiva at Chidambaram and obtained from him three Shivalingams and journeyed holding one shivalingam on each hand and one in his mouth. He sojourned at Vaikom, and set the shivalingam on the ground and to his dismay realized that it had gotten rooted to the ground.  Kharan therefore installed the other two shivalingams at Ettumanur  and Kaduthuruthy.  It is believed that visiting these triad of temples in a single day is of great significance. Legend also has it that Khara installed an image of Krishna in the north western corner of this temple. At the entrance to the temple is a large metal lamp; visitors make offerings of oil and the soot that collects from the burning of the oil is believed to have medicinal value.

Air: Nearest Airport is Cochin, at a distance of 76 kms. The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is 152 kms.

Rail: Kottayam Railway Station located 2 kms away from the Central Bus Station and is connected to most of Kerala's major cities and tourist centers.

Road: There are two bus stands, one run by state transport and the other private. The buses to major centers operate from the KSRTC bus station.

Ferries: The Ferry Station is at a distance of 3 kms away from the railway station. Ferry services are available to Alappuzha, Mannar, Chempakulam, Mankombu and Ambalapuzha.