INTRODUCTION
The Vaikom Mahadeva Temple is a famous shiva temple situated in Vaikom, Kerala. The temple is a popular temple similar to Ettumanoor Siva Temple and Kaduthuruthy Thaliyil Mahadeva Temple. By visiting these kerala temples altogether, our various wishes and needs will be fulfilled. Devotees can approach the temple officers, and can pay the prescribed amount of puja fee and perform the puja to the deities. In this temple, daily annadanam is provided to hundreds of devotees, which they consider it as very delicious.
The Vaikom Mahadeva temple is worshipped by Shaivaites and the Vaishnavaites. In this temple, Lord Shiva’s name is also known as Vaikkathappan. The temple is considered as one of the ancient temples in Kerala and the shiva lingam was installed before several lakhs of years.
Once the great demon, Kharasura performed severe penance on Lord Shiva, in order to attain SALVATION. Lord Siva appeared before him and gave three Siva Lingams to him. When Kara took rest for some time in this sacred place, he couldn’t lift the lingam, and it was permanently installed in that place due to the wish of Lord Shiva. Khara got SALVATION and asked sage Vyaghrapada to stay there and worship the Shiva lingams.
Sage Vyaghrapada also got the darshan of Lord Shiva along with Mata Parvati and they blessed him and vanished. After some time, he went on holy pilgrimages. Then after several years, Lord Parasurama, found these lingams, and also got the divine darshan of Lord Shiva with Mata Parvati, and performed pujas and also constructed a temple, which is known as Vaikom Mahadev Temple.
The Vaikom temple is famous for the most important festival Vaikathashtami, one of the main annual festivals, which will be celebrated during November–December. Vaikathashtami is celebrated on the day of Krishna Ashtami. Once, Lord Shiva had given his divine darshan to the great sage Vyaghrapada along with Mata Parvati Devi in the day of Krishna Ashtami. In order to recognize the incident, the great festival Vaikathashtami is celebrated.
IMPORTANCE
Devotees from all parts of India are visiting this sacred temple, in order to get the glimpse of their favourite god and goddess. After getting the darshan of the deities, our mind would be filled with immeasurable happiness, and we would get spiritual energy and attain great prosperity in our life. Our several mind related and health related problems also would be solved, and we would be able to find solutions for our most difficult problems, through the divine grace of Mahadeva and Mahadevi.
Let us pray to the divine god and goddess and be blessed.
“OM SREE GANESAYA NAMAHA”
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
“OM SAKTHI PARASAKTHI”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR