Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
Vishnu (reclining, as Adikesava Perumal) temple · Thiruvattar, Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
The Adikesava Perumal Temple at Thiruvattar (Thiruvattaru) in Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Vishnu, who is shown lying on the serpent Adisesha. The Kanniyakumari district administration lists it among the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu shrines praised by the Alvar poet-saints, and The Hindu notes that it was sung by the poet-saint Nammalvar.
Standing in a village bounded on three sides by rivers, according to Wikipedia, the temple is closely linked with the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. According to The Hindu, its 22-foot reclining deity is the longest among the 108 Divya Desams, and Adikesava was the principal deity of the Travancore royal family before the capital moved from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
The main image is not carved in stone. The Hindu reports that it is a Kadusarkarai yogam image, made by covering 16,008 salagrama stones with a paste of more than 60 ingredients, and that at 22 feet it is the longest such image in India; the Padmanabhaswamy image in Thiruvananthapuram, made the same way, is about 18 feet. The reclining deity is seen through three doorways of the sanctum.
The district administration relates the temple legend. Two demons, Kesan and Kesi, rose from a flaw in a sacrifice performed by Brahma; Vishnu killed Kesan and pinned Kesi down as his bed, which is why he is called Kesava. Kesi's wife called on the rivers to wash the Lord away, but the earth rose beneath him and the rivers instead flowed around him like garlands, giving the place its name. According to the same account, twelve Shiva temples around Thiruvattar arose from twelve rudrakshas, and on Shivaratri devotees still run between all twelve, ending at Adikesava Perumal.
The temple's own tradition, recorded by The Hindu and Open magazine, sees Adikesava and Sree Padmanabha as closely related: both images are of Kadusarkarai yogam, and the Thiruvananthapuram deity is said to lie facing in the direction of Thiruvattar.
Heritage
History of Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
According to the Travancore Devaswom Archives website, the earliest known inscription at the temple, on the base of the bali-stone platform, belongs to the Chola king Rajendra Chola I (dated by that source to 1013–1045 CE) and refers to the deity as the god of Thiruvattar. The same source records that the Ottakkal Mandapam, a hall in front of the sanctum built from a single slab of stone, was put up in 1603 CE by the Venad ruler Veera Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, and that he and his brothers made further additions and repairs.
The area was part of the Venad and later Travancore kingdom, whose rulers were trustees of the temple; Wikipedia records that Marthanda Varma worshipped here before his military campaigns. After the reorganisation of states, when the area became part of Tamil Nadu, Wikipedia records that the temple was handed over to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
A long renovation took place in the 2010s and 2020s. Open magazine reports that the deity was moved to a temporary shrine (balalayam) from February 2016 to June 2022 while the ancient image was repaired using traditional materials. The Hindu reported in May 2022 that the temple was being prepared for a kumbhabhishekam (consecration) for the first time in about 400 years.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple combines Kerala and Tamil building traditions. The Travancore Devaswom Archives describe a granite sanctum with three doorways and a copper-sheeted roof, with the single-stone Ottakkal Mandapam in front. The district administration notes the fine architecture and the paintings on the temple walls.
Wikipedia describes long pillared corridors, carvings of scenes from the Ramayana and other legends, and murals in the inner corridors. The art historian Crispin Branfoot, cited by Wikipedia, identifies composite pillars with images of Virabhadra as additions of the Vijayanagara period in the early 1500s.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple follows traditional Kerala-style customs, and dress rules may apply, as at other temples in the region. Confirm current timings, dress requirements and festival arrangements with the temple office or the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (per Wikipedia) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
Shivaratri (Shivalaya run)
According to the district administration, devotees run between the twelve Shiva temples around Thiruvattar on Shivaratri and end their pilgrimage at Adikesava Perumal.
Vaikuntha Ekadashi
Listed by Wikipedia as one of the main festivals of the temple.
Location
How to Reach Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
The Kanniyakumari district administration gives Thiruvattar as about 60 km from Kanniyakumari town. Its temple page lists bus routes to Thiruvattar from the Vadasery bus terminal in Nagercoil, via Thuckalay, and from the Marthandam and Kaliyakkavilai terminals.
Location: Thiruvattar, Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Vishnu (reclining, as Adikesava Perumal) temples · Temples in Kallkkulam Taluk · Temples in Kanniyakumari District
Questions
Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Adikesava Perumal Temple a Divya Desam?
Yes. The Kanniyakumari district administration lists it among the 108 Divya Desams, and The Hindu notes that it was sung by the Alvar saint Nammalvar.
How long is the reclining deity at Thiruvattar?
According to The Hindu, the image is 22 feet long, the longest among the 108 Divya Desams. It is made of Kadusarkarai yogam over 16,008 salagrama stones.
What is the link between Thiruvattar and Thiruvananthapuram?
Both temples have reclining Vishnu images made of Kadusarkarai yogam, and Adikesava was the main deity of the Travancore royal family before the capital moved to Thiruvananthapuram, according to The Hindu.
Why is the place called Thiruvattar?
According to the temple legend given by the district administration, rivers sent to wash away the reclining Lord instead flowed around him in a circle, like garlands.
How old is the Adikesava Perumal Temple?
Its early history is not documented, but the earliest known inscription dates from the reign of the Chola king Rajendra Chola I in the 11th century CE, according to the Travancore Devaswom Archives.
When was the temple's last kumbhabhishekam?
The Hindu reported in May 2022 that the temple was being prepared for its first kumbhabhishekam in about 400 years, after the deity had spent 2016–2022 in a temporary shrine during repairs.
Sources and attribution
- Kanniyakumari District Administration — Adikesavaperumal Temple
- Kanniyakumari District Administration — Places of interest: Athikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar
- The Hindu (B. Kolappan, 20 May 2022) — A deity made of 16,008 salagramas with Kadusarkarai
- Open magazine (Lakshmi Bayi, July 2022) — 412-Years-Old Traditions Come Alive in Thiruvattar
- Travancore Devaswom Archives (490kdbtemples.org) — Arulmigu Adhikasava Perumal Thiruvattar Thirukkovil, Kalkulam Taluk
- Wikipedia — Adikesava Perumal Temple, Kanyakumari
Further reading: Adikesava Perumal Temple, Thiruvattar on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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