Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
Shiva (Mahadeva), with Parvati and Ganesha temple · Vazhappally, Changanassery, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple, also called Vazhappally Mahadeva Temple, is a Shiva temple at Vazhappally on the edge of Changanassery in Kottayam district, Kerala. Kerala Tourism places it about 3 km from Changanassery town, and Wikipedia records that it is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The temple is known for two things that set it apart. It is one of the few Kerala temples with two nalambalams (the four-sided cloisters around the sanctum) and two flagmasts, and it gives its name to the Vazhappally copper plate, a 9th-century record that the local panchayat and historians treat as one of the oldest surviving documents in the Malayalam language.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
Kerala Tourism describes the idol as believed to be centuries old. Wikipedia lists the temple among the 108 Shiva temples traditionally attributed to Parasurama, and gives Shiva as the main deity with Parvati and Ganesha also worshipped. According to the same account, the tradition holds that Parasurama advised a shrine reflecting the united form of Shiva and Parvati.
A legend recorded in Kerala Tourism's festival listing links the idol to Neelamperoor. It tells of a Chera ruler who, after losing a debate, withdrew to Neelamperoor and planned to install his own image there; on hearing of this, the custodians of ten traditional households carried the Shiva image away from Neelamperoor and installed it at Vazhappally. Devotees therefore regard the Vazhappally deity as the Shiva of Neelamperoor. This is a matter of tradition rather than documented history.
The Vazhappally Grama Panchayat notes that the temple was never only a place of worship. Its history page says village assemblies, administrative decisions and public meetings were held in connection with the temple, at a time when temples shaped local administration, tax collection and public works.
Heritage
History of Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
The temple's age is not fixed by any foundation record. Kerala Tourism says it is believed to have been built in the time of the first Chera dynasty, while Wikipedia says it was especially prominent under the later (second) Chera rulers and associates a renovation with the Chera king Rajasekhara Varman, often identified with the Shaiva saint Cheraman Perumal Nayanar. Wikipedia also records a Vattezhuthu inscription noting repairs completed in Kollam Era 840 (1665 CE), and says the temple came through the conflicts of the Thekkumkur and Travancore periods.
The best-known historical object connected with the temple is the Vazhappally copper plate (Vazhappally sasanam). According to the SNGS College digital inscription archive, it is dated to the twelfth regnal year of the Chera king Rama Rajasekhara and is written in early Malayalam in Vattezhuthu script with some Grantha characters. The archive and Wikipedia both say it was found by V. Srinivasa Sastri at the Thalamana Illam near Changanassery and is now kept at the Muvidathu Madham in Thiruvalla. Its date is debated: the archive notes that recent scholarship places it around 882/83 CE, the Changanassery Municipality's history page gives 830 CE, and other accounts give an earlier 9th-century date.
Wikipedia summarises the plate as recording a resolution of the temple committee, made in the king's presence, that set aside land for daily worship and laid down fines for anyone who obstructed it; the text is incomplete. The Changanassery Municipality cites the inscription as evidence of a village assembly, the Vazhappally Oorar, which took part in governing the old Nanthuzhainadu region alongside its local ruler.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple is built in the traditional Kerala style. Kerala Tourism highlights its two nalambalams and two flagmasts, a layout it calls rare in Kerala. Wikipedia adds that the temple has 17th-century wood carvings (daru shilpas) depicting scenes from the epics. Visitors interested in temple woodwork may find these carvings worth looking for.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Like other Travancore Devaswom Board temples, Vazhappally follows traditional Kerala temple customs, and crowds are heavier during the annual festival in Meenam. Confirm current darshan timings, dress rules and offering arrangements with the Travancore Devaswom Board or the temple office before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Travancore Devaswom Board (per Wikipedia) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
Annual Utsavam
Kerala Tourism lists a ten-day annual festival held at the temple in the Malayalam month of Meenam.
Shivaratri
Wikipedia lists Shivaratri among the festivals observed at the temple.
Location
How to Reach Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
Kerala Tourism gives the temple as about 3 km from Changanassery town. Its festival listing names Changanassery railway station, about 2.8 km away, as the nearest station, Mathumoola bus stop about 800 m away, and Cochin International Airport, about 105 km away, as the nearest airport.
Changanassery lies at the southern tip of Kottayam district, according to the municipality, so the temple can be reached by road from Kottayam to the north or Thiruvalla to the south.
Location: Vazhappally, Changanassery, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport (about 105 km, per Kerala Tourism)
Nearest railway station: Changanassery (about 2.8 km, per Kerala Tourism)
More in Hindu temples in Kerala · Shiva (Mahadeva), with Parvati and Ganesha temples · Temples in Changanassery (Part) · Temples in Changanasserry Taluk · Temples in Kottayam District
Questions
Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple?
It is at Vazhappally, about 3 km from Changanassery town in Kottayam district, Kerala, according to Kerala Tourism.
What is unusual about the temple's layout?
It has two nalambalams (cloisters around the sanctum) and two flagmasts, which Kerala Tourism describes as rare among Kerala temples.
What is the Vazhappally copper plate?
It is a 9th-century Chera record in early Malayalam, issued in the reign of Rama Rajasekhara, recording a temple committee decision about land for daily worship. It is now kept at the Muvidathu Madham in Thiruvalla.
What is the legend of the temple's idol?
According to a legend recorded by Kerala Tourism, the Shiva image was carried from Neelamperoor and installed at Vazhappally, so devotees regard the deity as the Shiva of Neelamperoor.
When is the Vazhappally temple festival?
The ten-day annual festival is held in the Malayalam month of Meenam (March–April).
Who manages Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple?
Wikipedia records that the temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Sources and attribution
- Kerala Tourism (Government of Kerala) — Vazhappally Mahadeva Temple, Changanasserry
- Kerala Tourism (Government of Kerala) — Vazhappally Sree Mahadeva Temple festival listing (1000 Festivals of Kerala)
- Vazhappally Grama Panchayat (LSGD Kerala) — History of Grama Panchayat
- Changanassery Municipality (LSGD Kerala) — History
- SNGS College Digital Archive — Inscription 41: Vazhappally copper plate
- Wikipedia — Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
- Wikipedia — Vazhappally copper plate
Further reading: Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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