List of Famous Temples in Kerala

Famous Temples in Kerala include the Sabarimala Temple, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thirunelli Temple, Chottanikkara Temple, Tali Temple, and others. Kerala is called “God’s Own Country” and has hundreds of beautiful temples of great historic and religious relevance. Many of the famous temples in Kerala are dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.

Kerala is home to some of the holiest, richest, and most magnificent temples. In this article, we have shared a list of some of the most famous temples in Kerala, along with details about their location, history, and significance.

Famous Temples in Kerala

The Famous Temples in Kerala are holy shrines dedicated to Hindu gods like Lord Ayyappa, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu. These temples are known for their immaculate architecture and divine energy. Every year, devotees from all corners of India visit these temples in Kerala. Here are the names of some of the most famous temples in Kerala.

• Sabarimala Sastha Temple, Sabarimala
• Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
• Sivagiri Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
• Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
• Tali Temple, Kozhikode

Top 25 Temples in Kerala

Being “God’s Own Country”, Kerala has a number of temples dedicated to several gods. Some of the Hindu gods that are prayed to the most in Kerala include Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Ayyappa. Check out the names and locations of the top 25 famous temples in Kerala below.

Kerala Temples: Details

Some of the temples in Kerala are worth visiting once in your lifetime. The architecture and divine energy that possesses these temples are worth witnessing and experiencing. Get to know more about the famous temples in Kerala from the information shared below.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

• Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a sight to behold. It is one of the oldest and richest temples in Kerala.
• This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, whose idol placed in the temple reclines on the eight-hooded serpent God, Anantha.
• The Dravidian architecture of this temple involves detailed carvings and murals.
• People from all over the world visit this famous temple in Kerala to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu.

Sabarimala Sastha Temple

• The Sabarimala temple is among the most famous temples in Kerala. It was also in the news for being a temple that only allows male devotees to enter the temple premises.
• The deity of this temple is Lord Ayyappa, the son of Lord Shiva and Mohini. Lord Ayyappa is also one of the most worshipped gods in Kerala temples.
• Reaching this temple is quite a task as it requires hours of trekking. In order to obtain entry to the temple, devotees also need to wear blue and black dresses, remain unshaven until darshan, and smear Chandan on their forehead.

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple

• The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is dedicated to Kannaki, an avatar of Goddess Parvati.
• This temple is also among the most famous temples in Kerala. One of the annual festivals of this temple is the Attukal Pongala Festival, which is also mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple lies in close proximity to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Chottanikara Devi Temple

• This temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati and is one of the most visited temples in Kerala.
• There is a gold idol of the Goddess inside the temple, about 4 to 5 feet tall. Devotees believe that praying to this idol will cure their ailments.
• The exact location of this temple is Ernakulam. The deity of the temple is worshipped in three different forms, Goddess Saraswati, Durga, and Laxmi.

Ananthapura Lake Temple

• The Ananthapura Lake Temple is one of the most famous temples in Kerala. It is situated on a freshwater lake.
• This temple is dedicated to Lord Ananthapadmanabha, the same deity as the one residing in Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
• The Ananthapura Lake Temple is believed to be the original abode of Lord Ananthapadmanabha.
• One of the fascinating aspects of this temple is its guardian, Babia, who is a vegetarian crocodile.

FAQs on Famous Temples in Kerala

Q1. Which are the most famous temples in Kerala?

Sabarimala Sastha Temple, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Malayalappuzha Temple, Thirunelli Temple, and Attukal Bhagavathy Temple are some of the most famous temples in Kerala. Thousands of devotees visit these famous temples in Kerala every year.

Q2. Which is the most powerful temple in Kerala?

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is known as the most powerful temple in Kerala. The presiding deity in this temple is Lord Vishnu, one of the most powerful Hindu gods. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram and dates back to the 8th century.

Q3. Which is the richest temple in Kerala?

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple are two of the richest temples in Kerala. In fact, these temples are also among the richest Hindu temples in the world. Both the Sabrimala and the Padmanabhaswamy temples are visited by millions of devotees every year.

Q4. Which is the oldest temple in Kerala?

Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple is the oldest temple in Kerala. Located in Vaikom, Kerala, this temple is believed to be one of the holiest temples for Shiva devotees. Another oldest temple in Kerala is the Guruvayur temple, which is believed to be at least 5000 years old.

Q5. How many temples are there in Kerala?

There are thousands of temples in Kerala. According to a report, the Kerala Temple Board manages around 3058 temples in the state. Some of the most revered gods in these temples are Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, and Lord Ayyappa.

Q6. What is the name of 5000 years old temple in Kerala?

Guruvayur temple, also known as “Bhooloka Vaikunta” is a 5000 years old temple in Kerala. There are a lot of myths and legends associated with this temple, one of them being that this temple was built by Vishwakarma, the divine architect, and the main idol inside the temple was installed by Brihaspati and Vayu.

Q7. Which temple is famous for gold in Kerala?

Being one of the richest temples in the world, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is famous for gold in Kerala. Some of the gold artifacts in this temple include gold coins, crowns, thrones, etc. On 27 June 2011, some of the vaults of this temple were opened after which 186 kgs of gold was discovered.