| Vadakkumnathan Temple | |
|---|---|
 South Nada entrance of the temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Thrissur |
| Deity | Shiva Parvati Shankaranarayana Vishnu (As Rama) Ganesha |
| Festivals | Thrissur Pooram Maha Shivaratri Navaratri Thiruvathira |
| Location | |
| Location | Thrissur |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
  Location in Kerala  Vadakkunnathan Temple (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°31′28″N 76°12′52″E / 10.52444°N 76.21444°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Traditional Kerala style |
| Creator | Parashurama |
| Completed | Unknown |
| Specifications | |
| Temple(s) | 3 |
| Monument(s) | 1 |
| Website | |
| sreewadakkunathantemple | |
The Vadakkumnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Thrissur, in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. The temple is a classical example of the architectural style of Kerala and has one monumental tower on each of the four sides in addition to a koothambalam. Mural paintings depicting various scenes from the Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple.[1][2][3] The shrines and the Kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under the AMASR Act.[4] According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Thekkinkadu Maidan, encircling the Vadakkumnathan Temple, is the main venue of the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival.[1][2]
In 2012, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recommended 14 sites, including Vadakkumnathan Temple and palaces, from Kerala to include in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[5] The temple is also the first one among the 108 Shiva Temples in ancient Kerala, established by Parashurama, and is mentioned in the Shiva Temple Stotra as Shrimad-Dakshina Kailasam, meaning 'Mt. Kailash of the South'.
- ^ a b "Vadakkumnathan Temple". Thrissur District. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ a b "Thrissur Pooram". Kerala Tourism. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ "Vadakkumnathan Temple". DTPC Thrissur. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ "Alphabetical List of Monuments - Kerala". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ "Kerala: Vadakkumnathan temple may be UNESCO's world heritage site". ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2013.