Our Visit to Sree Vadakkunathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala

Sree Vadakkunathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala is cuturally rich with fascinating history and vibrant traditions. Our visit to this temple during our Kerala Tour in Mar 2025, we had a divinely and peaceful experience which is remembered forever.

Day 1 of our Kerala Tour in Mar 2025

Our Kerala tour in March 2025 was one of the most cherishable family one that is still fresh in our minds. We started from Hyderabad on March 12th and landed in Kochi airport at around 9.30 a.m. Kochi airport, though small yet culturally rich showcasing the heritage of Kerala. The front elevation of the airport is quite unique with the typical pagoda / pyramidical style roofs. We collected our baggage and walked out looking at every minute thing of the airport with appreciation which reflects the rich heritage and history of God's Own Country.
While making our Kerala trip planner, we came to know about this ancient temple which has connection with Parasurama (the 6th Avatar of Sri Maha Vishnu) and Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharya. So we thought of visiting the temple. It's a one and a half hour drive from Kochi airport to Vadakkunathan temple and the temple closes by 11 a.m. We doubted whether we can reach the temple in time or not. So we skipped our breakfast and refreshed ourselves with a hot cup of filter coffee outside the airport. We then headed to Sri Vadakkunathan temple in our pre-booked cab.

From Kochi Airport to Vadakkunathan Temple

The drive from Kochi to Thrissur was enjoyable with beautiful yellow blooms called ponna flowers hanging from the trees on either side of the road. These flowers are very dear to Guruvayoor Appa (Sri Krishna).
The driver covered the distance just in one hour and we reached the destination at the nick of the moment. We took tickets at the entrance gate and rushed into the temple. On stepping inside we felt the divine frangrance of fresh flowers, chandan and agarbattis. As it was closing time, we were on our toes running to the main Sreekovil / main shrine. Our minds focused on having the darshan of Sree Vadakkunathan while our eyes were busy having a glance at the timeless marvel of the temple. We walked fast in the corridor and hurried to the Sreekovil where there was a queue. Here, I noticed some devotees lighting ghee deepams in front of the mainkovil. On enquiring, one of the temple persons helped us in purchasing the earthen ghee lamps and we lit them in front of the main temple. Though there was language problem in understanding Malayalam but being South Indians (Telugu), we somehow managed to understand what the person was communicating in Malayalam. The local people in the temple were too kind and helpful giving proper guidance to us. The line moved fast and we felt blessed to have the darshan of Sree Vadakkunathan. The Sivalingam looked quite different from the usual Sivalingams. It looked something like this as in the picture below.
After darshan we walked to the place where prasadam was being distributed. We saw the priest giving a plaintain leaf (aritaku) in which there is little bit of chandan paste, few flowers and little ghee. For the first time I saw such a prasadam and was surprised. We saw devotees licking the ghee as prasadam, so we too licked ghee and then went round the temple. We halted at Ganapathi shrine where we saw a devotee purchasing something at the counter. On enquiry we came to know that prasadam - a special type of payasam almost similar to the famous Ayyappa prasadam, is being sold at the counter. The temple staff and the locals were kind and helped us in purchasing the prasadam.

The Kerala-style temple architecture

The ancient temple of Vadakkunnathan is located in the heart of Thrissur in Kerala and is one of the oldest and most revered Siva temples in Kerala. There is spiritual depth in the temple with cultural significance and it stands as a symbol of architectural ethos of Kerala. It’s not just a place of worship but a living monument of Kerala's rich heritage.

Sri Vadakkunathan Temple — also known as Vadakkumnathan Kshetram — is one of the oldest Siva temples in India which is believed to have been founded by Sri Parashurama himself who is the creator of Kerala. The temple is built in typical traditional Kerala architecture, featuring multi-tiered gopurams (gateways), slanting tiled roofs and finely carved wooden structures. Inside the temple complex, there are shrines of Parvati Devi, Ganapathi and Vishnu. The temple is a timeless monument of divine presence which continues to attract devotees with its magnificent architecture and sacred ambiance.

The temple is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing a lush green compound due to which it is peaceful inside inspite of being located in the heart of the city. The main deity of Vadakkunathan is housed in the Sreekovil which is in the Lingam form which is a 'swayambhu' lingam. We came to know that the Lingam is covered with layers of ghee offered by the devotees. And surprisingly, this ghee neither spoils nor melts even in summers. Whether there is a scienfific reasoning behind this or is this a miracle of Siva, is a question mark. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple, so we couldn't take the pictures inside the temple premises. Actually my daughter is very much fascinated on seeing the ancient murals on the walls and she wanted to take pics and videos of those murals but she couldn't. A visit to the temple offers a feast to the eyes with its ancient temple architecture and old mural paintings on its outer walls.

The temple is in typical Kerala-style architecture with monumental gopurams, multi-tiered slanting roofs, intricate wooden carvings and sprawling compound. The Kerala style architecture looked very much different from the Dravidian style temple architecture. This was the first time we experienced the Kerala culture which was too impressive with spiritual energy. As it was Day 1 of our Kerala tour, we were eager to explore and soak into the rich culture of Kerala.

Temple History and Sthalapuranam

The temple is believed to have been constructed in the 8th or 9th century CE (Current Era) and it is believed that Parasurama has installed the Siva Lingam in this temple after reclaiming the land of Kerala from the sea.

Jagadguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya's father Sivaguru and mother Aryamba worshipped Sri Vadakkunathan and were blessed with a son (Adi Sankara). Hence this temple is considered very revered. The temple reflects the rich cultural heritage and architectural tradition of Kerala. Adi Shankaracharya is a great Hindu philospher who believed / preached Advaita philosophy.

Reflections from our visit to the temple

As it was closing time, the temple staff were hurrying the devotees to exit. So after a hectic visit of the temple we walked out at around 11.45 a.m and literally we felt as if we were walking on a hot pan. This is the only difficulty that we faced here. After few clicks in hot weather in front of the temple we were about to proceed to Guruvayur. Then one of the locals suggested us to visit yet another very famous and important temple in Thrissur, Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Amma temple which close to Vadakkunathan temple. As per his suggestion we proceeded to Bhagavathi Amma Temple and really felt extremely blessed to have visited this temple. If not for the suggestion of the local person, we would have missed this powerful temple of Paramekkavu Bhagawathi Amma. We felt much more blessed to have watched the festival celebration at this temple with vibrant drum beats in typical Kerala style and also savoured delicious lunch (prasadam) in the temple.

Our visit to Sri Vadakkunathan Temple was not just a spiritual halt but was a journey into Kerala’s soul. From the legends of Parashurama to the silent power of the ghee-covered lingam, every moment felt like a bridge between the ancient and the eternal.

Also Read: Paramekkavu Sree Bhagawati Amma Temple Thrissur

After a satisfying darshan, we walked out of the temple, took some clicks and proceeded to Sree Bhagawathy Amma temple.

Travel Info

There is no strict dress code at Sree Vadakkunathan temple unlike most of the temples in Kerala. Women can wear any traditional dress and not strictly the Kerala type white sari. And men can wear pants but should enter with bare chest only.

For fully exploring the temple Vadakunnathan, visit at least one hour before the closing time which is 11 a.m.

Devotees can purchase prasadam, a special kind of payasam.

Though mobiles are allowed inside the temple, photography is strictly prohibited inside the premises. Maintain lines in silence and focus on the Sree Vadakkunathan and seek His blessings.

My Final Thoughts

With a visit to Sree Vadakkunathan temple, we understood that at times the best family journeys are the ones where we can spend some peaceful time in togetherness and a journey need not be necessarily going to a faraway place or a foreing country. At this temple we had serene space where we spent some time in a spiritual ambiance and recharged with divine vibes.