BHAGAWATHI OF GHENGANNUR

THE TEMPLE

This sacred temple built on a vast six-acre land is deemed one of the biggest of its kind by Kerala standards. It has a massive prakara and a tall three-tiered tower over the Gateway, facing east, and another on the west. Its architectural beauty is of high order and detains the visitors with its beauty. Crossing the Mahadwar, when proceeded further you see the Anakottal - elephant shed. Next comes Kuttambalam in front of which lies the tall, brass plated flab staff, then Balikalpura leading to the imposing Mukhamamtap.

Finally the circular Srikoil enshrining the images of Lord Siva in the front, facing the east and Mother Parvathi facing west, just behind in the same garbhagriha but separated by a passage. This is one of the distinctive features of the temple that indeed marks it out from the rest of the temples found anywhere in India. The roofing covered with copper plates is quite huge and beautiful sloping steeply downwards. 

The outer walls, the wooden pillars of Srikoil and the eastern mandapam are adorned with fine wood carvings; the craftsmanship is so exquisite and impressive that Marthanda Varma the famous builder of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple employed them all after visiting the temple. Their skill is superb and the pouranic stories they carved are life-like in expressions, style and design.

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