Adikesava Perumal Temple: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Adikesava Perumal Temple is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Check the exact timings on the official website before your visit.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

The temple architecture is a fusion of Dravidian and Kerala styles of architecture, with wooden pillars, doors and roofs. The Temple is surrounded by a thirty-feet-high fort wall. The outer corridor stand on 224 stone pillars. The adjacent forward facing mandapams includes sculptures and art works which depicts events from Ramayana. It also portrays Gods and Goddesses from Hindu mythology including Shiva, Parvati and Sri Krishna etc. The Lord is lying on His snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. Lord Shiva is near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi. Deepalakshmis are many but none resembles the other. The Otraikkal Mandapam (single stone hall) is made of a single stone 3 feet thick. Oorthuva Thandavam, Venugopala, Rathi, Manmatha, Lakshmana and Indrajit are all excellently carved. The temple is also renowned for its murals.

The composite columns of Virabhadra, holding a sword and a horn, are found be additions by the Vijayanagara kings in the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are found in Meenakshi Temple at Madurai, Nellaiappar Temple at Tirunelveli, Kasi Viswanathar temple at Tenkasi, Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple, Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram, Soundararajaperumal temple at Thadikombu, Srivilliputhur Andal temple, Srivaikuntanathan Perumal temple at Srivaikuntam, Avudayarkovil, Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple at Thirukkurungudi.

The temple complex includes a Ayyappan temple behind which stands the Ksetra bala Balikkal. It also includes Sree Bali Prakaram and the Yanaikottil. Other deities being located in the south-western corner, the flagmast is located at the west at the Sree Balippura. As per the stone inscriptions in the pedestal of the flag mast it was renovated by Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI in 1071 KE. The granite entrance of the Chitra Sabha includes sculptures of the Dwara Palakas known as Jaya and Vijaya. Sculptures of Lakshmana and Pathanjali Tandava carved to the left of Sabha Mandapam while that of Indrajith and Muralidhara and Kalabairava are carved to the right. The image of the chief deity in his sayana posture is sculpted on the wooden entrance door. Vatteluttu inscriptions of Shilpa Shastra are found in adjacent walls. It also includes details about the 11th century Chola King Rajendra Chola.

Legend & Significance

The Lord AdiKesavaSwamy means 'Foremost Friend'. Legend says that Lord AdiKesavaSwamy defeated the demon Kesi. The demon's wife prayed to the River Ganges and to River Thamirabarani and created a destruction. But it was in vain and she surrendered to the Lord. Thus, the formation of the rivers made in a circle came to be known as Thiruvattaru.

On 10 June 1741, Anizham Tirunal Marthanda Varma, the then ruler of Travancore, before going for the Battle of Colachel offered 908 panams, yataghan and silk on the feet of Lord Adikesava and prayed for victory.

Festivals & Rituals at Adikesava Perumal Temple

Vaikunta Ekadesi is celebrated with pomp and glory. Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer), Aval and Appam are delicious prasadams at this temple. The pujas are done in the same manner as that of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram.