| Mukhathala | |
| Settlement Type: | town |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Kerala, India |
| Coordinates: | 8.8969°N 76.6672°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kerala |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kollam |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 80.11 |
| Population Total: | 254143 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Malayalam, English |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 691577 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | 0474 |
| Registration Plate: | KL-02 |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Nearest city |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Kollam |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Sex ratio |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | 1012 ♂/♀ |
| Blank3 Name Sec1: | Literacy |
| Blank3 Info Sec1: | 90.82% |
| Blank4 Name Sec1: | Lok Sabha constituency |
| Blank4 Info Sec1: | Kollam |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Climate |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | normal (Köppen) |
Mukhathala is a small town and block panchayat in Kollam district of Kerala, India.[1] As an important area in Kollam, the region is rich in agriculture products like, cashew nuts, coconuts, tapioca, pepper, areca, vegetables and most importantly, paddy. The region holds ‘Perumkulam ela' (second largest paddy field in the state).
The Mukhathala area can boast of an illustrious ancestry by the presence of temples like Olayilkavu, Udayankavu, Kottavaidehikavu, Kulathoorkavu, Kandolikavu, Vamanankavu (Kavu is a grove connected with a temple of great ancestry) and of families like Thekkadath, Vadakkadath, Chittilakkad and Perumathi.
The Mukhathala village is known for the famous Murari Temple which holds a unique position in the cultural history of Travancore. This famous Sree krishna swami temple held the prominent position under the rule of Desinganadu king. This temple is approximately three thousand years old! The temple is situated in the 'Thrikkovilvattom' village on the Kollam- Kulathoorpuzha state highway side, nearly Eight kilometers from the Kollam town.
G Omana is the present President of the Mukhathala block panchayat. Mukhathala includes 5 Grama panchayats and 15 divisions. The Grama panchayats include
The nearest railway stations are Kilikkollur Station Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus services to nearby towns are available regularly Kollam-Kulathupuzha Limited stop chain service Every 20 min
The Mukhathala village is known for the famous Murari Temple which holds a unique position in the cultural history of Travancore. This famous Sree krishna swami temple held the prominent position under the rule of Desinganadu king.
Mukhathala Sreekrishnaswami Temple has its own glory and greatness, mainly because of the divinity enshrined in the Sanctum- Sanctorum (Sreekovil) of the temple, and the unique charm of the idol installed in it. The strength of the deity here is believed to be stronger than in other temples as no Upadevatas (subsidiary deities) enshrined here. There is only a Yakshi Amma on the northern side of the temple.[4]
The presiding deity in the 'Garbhagraha' (central shrine) is MahaVishnu. The people at large, however, invoke the Lord as "MURARI". Mura- hari is Lord Vishnu after the slaying of ‘Muraasuran’. The surrounding area came to be known as Mukhathala as it was the place where the ‘Mukham’ (face) and the ‘Thala’ (head) of the Asura fell.
Some of its most prominent features include a huge outer wall, the Anapanthal where, as part of traditional rituals, a caparisoned elephant stands bearing the idol of the Lord, and a copper-covered flag pole. There is also a special Balikkalpura, a square-shaped enclosure that is famous for maintaining an even temperature throughout the day. It never gets too hot or too cold because of its unique structure. The Vilakkumadam, where ceremonial lamps are fixed, and the Mandapam or the platform in front of the sanctum sanctorum, are other salient hallmarks of this mystical site.[5]