Ettumanur Siva Temple
Lord Shiva has a fierce face at Ettumanur temple. Though fierce the Lord is easily pleasing towards devotees and splendidly showers benediction. Location wise Ettumanur is at 11 km to the southeast of Kottayam town .Siva temple is four or five feet below the road level. As you enter it through the Balikalpura or altar-house, you come across the celebrated Valia vilakku or the big lamp, which you have to worship first before having darshan of the main deity. This lamp is said to have been installed in 1545 A.D and its wicks have been burning ever since. The temple has a circular sanctum covered with a conical copper plated roof crowned with a kalsam. The mukhamandapam in front of the temple bears two images of Nandi, one of stone and another of metal. like other temples in Kerala, the rear of the sanctum is revered as Parvati's shrine.
A rectangular circumambulatory passage surrounds the sanctum. The sanctum bears wood carvings of superior workmanship portraying legends from the Ramayana and the Bhagavata puranam.
The murals on the western entrance to the temple are awe inspiring especially that of the painting of the dance of Shiva.
There are also shrines to Saasta, Ganapati and Dakshinamurthy in the temple.
An important vazhivadu or offering is pouring oil in this lamp. It can contain nearly 3 liters of oil. As every devotee pours oil, the overflow is collected in a huge vessel placed below the lamp. The spill-over thus collected is so much that it is sufficient for the annual festivals of the temple. The soot collected on the cover of the lamp is applied to the eyes as it is believed to cure eye diseases. People possessed by evil spirits also get liberated here by making vows after worshipping to this holy lamp.
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