Velappaya Mahadevar temple

10°36′08″N 76°11′39″E / 10.6023°N 76.1943°E / 10.6023; 76.1943ArchitectureTypeArchitecture of KeralaCreatorParashuramaElevation35.17 m (115 ft)

Velappaya Mahadevar Temple also knows Velappaya Shiva Temple is one among the 108 Shiva temples in India.^[1][2] The main deity here in this temple is Shiva.^[3]: 130 This temple is believed to have been consecrated by Parashurama.^{[4]: 264–265}

Alongside Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, the temple is one of the few places where Shiva is revered in a manifestation known as Kirata Murthy, a form of Vetala, who gave Arjuna his Pashupatastra.^[3]: 130 The temple, which was earlier managed by Vellapaya Parangattil Family, now comes under the Thrissur Group Office of the Cochin Devaswom Board.^[5]

Legend has it that once Arjuna, the third of the Pandavas, was meditating in a place known as Mandara to invoke the grace of Shiva. A demon named Muka took the form of a wild boar and rushed towards Arjuna in order to interrupt his penance. When Arjuna aimed his Gandiva at the savage boar, Shiva and Parvathi appeared as a vetala (a clan of mountain dwellers) couple, and Shiva, too, aimed his arrow at the boar. As both of them drove their arrows towards the boar, killing it, Shiva grabbed the arrows from the boar's carcass and challenged Arjuna to retrieve them, which infuriated Arjuna. When Arjuna tried all his means to defeat the vetala hunter, he repeatedly failed.^[3]: 130 Finally, when Arjuna challenged the vetala hunter to a fist fight, the vetala hunter knocked him down and disappeared.^[3]: 131 Defeated, Arjuna made a Parthiva Linga—a Shiva Ling made from mud or sand and considered supreme among all lingas—by scooping some earth and placing some flowers around it and worshiped it.^[3]: 131 Suddenly, the vetala hunter appeared in place of the Linga, with the flowers appearing around his matted hair. Arjuna realized the truth and prostrated in front of Shiva appearing as the vetala hunter. Shiva revealed his true form and granted Arjuna the pashupatta-astra, the infallible weapon.^[3]: 131

The Temple is located at Velappaya village in Thangaloor in Thrissur district of Kerala state in India.^[6] Built in the Kerala-Dravidian architecture, the temple houses two west-facing tall Shivalingas in two separate shrines.^[7] Along with temples in Cranganore, Perinjanan, Parakkad, Chentrappini, Mullaserry, and Guruvayur, the Velappa Shiva temple features wood carvings on the ceiling.^[8]: 23

Velappa Shiva temple features wood carvings on the ceiling. There are two entrances to the inner prakaram where two great sanctums can be found - one square and the other circular. The shrines are built in traditional Kerala architecture with two-storied granite foundations. In both, Shiva is enshrined and faces west. Shiva lingams are about 5-6 feet tall. The inner courtyard is covered with granite. On the inner roof of the circular sanctum there is a namaskar mandapa with very old but crumbling woodwork. Ganesha and Parvati are enshrined in the circular sanctum.

The main deity is Shiva as Arjuna, the third of the Pandavas, was meditating in a place known as Mandara to invoke the grace of Shiva, she is believed to be present, as stated in an ancient poem which is recited in this temple.

• Kirātārjunīya
• Shiva
• Velappaya