| Aazhimala Shiva Temple | |
| Temple Board: | Aazhimala Shiva Temple Devaswom Trust |
| Festivals: |
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| Country: | India |
| Map Type: | India Kerala #India |
| Coordinates: | 8.3569°N 77.0114°W |
| Facade Direction: | East |
| Elevation M: | 22 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Aazhimala Shiva Temple is a Hindu temple located on the coast of the Arabian Sea near Vizhinjam in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple is known for the 58abbr=onNaNabbr=on tall sculpture, which is the tallest Shiva sculpture in Kerala.[1] The temple is built in a style resembling the architecture of Tamil Nadu. It is governed by the Aazhimala Shiva Temple Devaswom Trust.
The temple is located in Pulinkudi in the panchayat of Kottukal in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. It is situated 0.8km (00.5miles) off VizhinjamPoovar road near a cliff adjacent to the beach.[2] [3]
The temple is governed by the Aazhimala Shiva Temple Devaswom Trust. The trust organizes the annual festival and makes important decisions regarding temple affairs.[4]
The architectural style of the temple is similar to the temples of Tamil Nadu. The outer wall and gopuram are decorated and adorned by colorful sculptures of different Hindu deities like Ganesha, Ayyappan, Vishnu, Kartikeya and Hanuman. The shrines of the principal deity and other subordinate deities are also vibrant, with carvings, murals and decorations.[5]
Inside the temple, there is an 58abbr=onNaNabbr=on tall concrete sculpture of Shiva in figure.[6] It was sculpted by P. S. Devadathan a native of Aazhimala.[7] Construction of the sculpture started on 2 April and was completed and opened to the public on .[8] It is currently the tallest sculpture in India and the tallest Shiva sculpture in Kerala.[9]
The sculpture depicts a four-armed Shiva in a seated posture. The back right hand holds a damaru, the front right hand rests in the right thigh, the back left hand holds a trishula and the front left hand is in a raised position within the jaṭā (dreadlocks), which holds Ganga. The sculpture is mounted on a rock at a height of 20abbr=onNaNabbr=on.
The principal deity of the temple is Shiva. Ganesha and Parvati are the subordinate deities.[10] There is also a small shrine for Yogeshvara.
Utsavam, the annual festival, is conducted during the Malayalam month of (JanuaryFebruary). Shivaratri is another special occasion.[11] Tuesdays are usually the busiest day with many devotees coming from faraway places.[12]