Thirumittakode Anchumoorthi Temple: Difference between revisions

The temple is about 5&nbsp;km south of Pattambi in Palakkad district. The Palakkad-Shornur-Kozhikode train route passes through Pattambi. There are five shrines in the temple, one each of Shiva, Vishnu as Abhayapradhan, Vithuvakootuvalli, Vinayaga and [[Ayyappan]]. The temple is on the banks of [[Bharathappuzha]] at [[Thirumittacode-I|Thirumittacode]] of [[Palakkad District]] in [[Kerala state]] in India. The temple is built in [[Architecture of Kerala|Kerala style architecture]], common in all temples in the South Indian state of Kerala in Eastern axis. The temple has no gateway tower and has an arch from the main road. A small rectangular wall around the temple, called ''Kshetra-Madilluka'' pierced by the gateways, encloses all the shrines of the temple. The metal plated flagpost or ''[[Dwajasthambam]]'' is located axial to the temple tower leading to the central sanctum. ''Chuttuambalam'' is the outer pavilion within the temple walls. The central shrine and the associated hall is located in a rectangular structure called ''Nallambalam'', which has pillared halls and corridors.<ref name=RoaB>{{cite book|title=Temples of Kerala|publisher=Vasan Publications|last=Rao|first=A.V. Shankaranaryana|ref=Rao|year=2012|isbn=978-81-89888-94-7| pp= 12-3}}</ref> Between the entrance of ''Nallambalam'' to the sanctum, there is a raised square platform called ''Namaskara Mandapa'' which has a pyramidal roof. ''Thevrapura'', the kitchen used to cook offering to the deity is located on the left of ''Namaskara Mandapa'' from the entrance. ''Balithara'' is an altar is used for making ritualistic offering to demi-gods and the festive deities. The central shrine called ''Sreekovil'' houses the image of the presiding deity. It is on an elevated platform with a single door reached through five steps. As per Kerala rituals, only the main priest called [[Thantri]] and the second priest called [[Melshanthi]] alone can enter the ''Sree Kovil''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cultural Heritage of Kerala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R7QNGkZKc5wC&q=kerala+temple+architecture&pg=PA139|publisher=DC Books|location=Kerala, India|isbn=9788126419036|year=2008|ref=Culture|page=139}}</ref> The central shrine has a circular plan with the base built of granite, superstructure built of laterite and conical roof made of terrocata tile supported from inside by a wooden structure.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Indian Encyclopaedia: Kamli-Kyouk Phyu|editor=Subodh Kapoor|page=3963|publisher=Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd|year=2002|isbn=9788177552577|volume=13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYN0n0pzlpcC&q=kerala+temple+architecture&pg=PA3963}}</ref>