At Vaikom in the Kottayam region of Kerala stands the Vaikom Mahadeva temple, one of the great Shiva shrines of the land, where the Lord is worshipped lovingly as Vaikkathappan. Ancient in origin and built in the classical Kerala style, it forms, with the nearby temples of Ettumanoor and Kaduthuruthy, a sacred trio held especially blessed to worship in a single day.
Vaikom is celebrated for its grand Ashtami festival, and honoured in history as the setting of the early twentieth-century movement for temple entry — a landmark in the struggle for equality and social reform. Deeply holy and steeped in devotion, Vaikom Mahadeva is among the most beloved Shiva temples of Kerala.
