Sree Adhi Kesava Perumal Temple

Temple information

Darshan timings

04:30 – 20:30

Established

8

Best time to visit

Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere

Deity

Deity form

Colossal 22-foot long reclining stone/stucco Kadukasharkara Yogam icon of Lord Vishnu reclining on the 3-coiled serpent Adisesha, viewed through three distinct sanctum doors

Religious tradition

Vedic Pancharatra Agamic Tradition & Travancore Royal Temple Heritage

Sanskrit name

श्री आदिकेशव पेरुमाल मन्दिरम्

Also known as

Thiruvattaru Temple, Dakshina Vaikuntham, Pre-Padmanabhaswamy Temple, 108 Divya Desam Thiruvattar

Darshan hours

Daily

04:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 05:00 PM - 08:30 PM

Break timings

12:00 PM - 05:00 PM (Sanctum closed during afternoon rest)

Special days

Vaikunta Ekadashi, Thiru Aippasi Festival, Panguni: 03:30 AM - 11:30 PM

Festival timings

Open continuously till 11:30 PM on Vaikunta Ekadashi and festival days

Aarti & rituals

Morning aarti

05:00 AM

Midday aarti

12:00 PM

Evening aarti

06:00 PM

Night aarti

08:00 PM

Special aarti days

Saturdays, Ekadashi, Vaikunta Ekadashi, Purattasi Saturdays

Ritual schedule

Nitya Chatukkala Puja, Three-door darshan (Face at first door, Navel at second door, Lotus feet at third door), Nalayira Divya Prabandham Parayanam

Pooja timings

05:00 AM - 11:30 AM, 05:30 PM - 08:00 PM

Abhishek timings

Since Moolavar is colossal Kadukasharkara Yogam (herbal plaster), Abhishekam is strictly performed only to the bronze Utsava deity at 06:00 AM and 11:00 AM

Special poojas

Available

Online pooja booking

No

History & heritage

Historical period

Ancient

Built by

Chera-Venad Kings; renovated and endowed with gold and murals by Travancore Maharajas Marthanda Varma and Dharma Raja

Architect / builder

Master traditional Kerala and Tamil royal sthapathis

Construction materials

Solid dressed dark granite, teakwood carved rafters, Kadukasharkara herbal composite, brass flagstaff

Historical events

Celebrated in 11 pasurams of Thiruvaimozhi by Nammalvar; Maharaja Marthanda Varma prayed here before his famous military victory over the Dutch at Colachel in 1741 CE

Renovations

Punarprathishta performed with historic Kumbhabhishekam in July 2022 after 400 years, with complete restoration of the 22-foot Kadukasharkara deity and murals

Archaeological importance

Priceless Divya Desam monument preserving centuries-old Travancore royal epigraphs and 224 stone musical pillars

Legends

Lord Vishnu vanquished demon Keshi and lay atop him; demon’s wife created the rivers Kothai and Pahrali to drown the temple, but Mother Earth raised the ground forming a circular river bend ("Thiru-Vatt-Aru")

Inscriptions

Stone inscriptions in Tamil, Malayalam, and Vattezhuttu recording royal grants by Travancore kings and Chera monarchs

Architecture

Architectural style

Dravidian

Architectural period

Circa 800 - 1750 CE

Structure

Colossal 3.5-acre walled riverfront temple fortress encircled by the river on three sides, featuring the Ottakkal Mandapa, vast Nalambalam, and three-door sanctum

Floors

1

Gopuram

Traditional Kerala style timber-roofed entrance Padippura gateway and multi-tiered carved stone pillars

Mandapa

The magnificent Ottakkal Mandapa (monolithic single-stone hall) standing in front of the sanctum, carved from a single massive granite slab

Sculptural features

Colossal 22-foot reclining Kadukasharkara icon of Lord Adikesava Perumal viewed through three doors; stone Maragadhavalli Thayar; 224 carved stone pillars in the outer cloisters

Artistic elements

Masterpiece 18th-century vegetable dye mural frescoes decorating the sanctum outer walls, and intricate wood carvings on the ceiling

Construction technique

Interlocking monolithic granite block masonry combined with organic Kadukasharkara herb-clay deity sculpting

Unique features

The colossal 22-foot reclining deity viewed through three distinct doors (Face, Navel, and Feet), and the direct prototype relationship with the Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Festivals & events

Festival calendar

Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, Aippasi month (October/November Utsavam)

Special celebration days

Every Saturday, Shukla Ekadashi, Purattasi Saturdays

Cultural events

Traditional Kathakali, classical Carnatic vocal concerts, and Sopana Sangeetham during annual festivals

Annual events

Thiruvattar Adikesava Perumal Maha Arattu festival in the Kothai River drawing over 100,000 devotees

Peak crowd season

October to February, during Vaikunta Ekadashi, and Sabarimala season

Visitor information

• ✓ Parking
• ✓ Restrooms
• ✓ Drinking water
• ✓ Shoe keeping
• ✓ Prasadam counter

Dress code

Traditional

Best time to visit

Early morning hours on mid-week non-festival days to experience a peaceful darshan atmosphere

Parking capacity

20-30 vehicles

Parking fees

Approx. 20-50 INR

Donation counters

Yes

Donation methods

Cash, UPI, Bank Transfer

Prasadam

Vibhuti/Kumkum.