The Keezhthali Temple: A lost glory

In ancient Kerala, Shiva temples were not just places of worship but they were administrative structures for the rulers. Such temples were referred as Thali & one among the four important Thali temples is the Keezhthali temple near Kodungallur in Thrissur. The temple today has lost most of its glory due to brutal attacks completely destroying its original complex. The story or its origin & its reverence though has stood strong even today after many centuries.

Lord Parusarama in his time on earth is said to have consecrated many idols in different temples along the length of Kerala & the Siva idol here in the form of Kirathamurthy is one among them. The idol of Lord Shiva at the temple is the tallest among any other temples in Kerala & the priests have a unique way of conducting poojas in a standing posture. The Perumals who ruled Kerala in the 1st century were Shaivaites & are said to have built the temple which was later restored in the 12th century by the local rulers.

The temple today only has the Garbhagriha or the central sanctum standing while all the other structures around have been destroyed & lost to time. It is believed that the temple was a large complex with an architecture based on the Dwitala Vimana style where there is a central square griha & pyramidal shikara. The old structure of the temple had a large wall surrounding the temple with shrines for the upadevatas. There were also structures next to the temple which had a koothu parambu, Kalari parambu & kalapura parambu. As per records one unique architecture is the absence of a namaskara mandapam in the front of the sanctum. The whole temple was built using laterite stones & the pedestal had granite slabs with carvings on all sides. The upper tier of the sanctum has a vimanam with a plastered wall & a terracotta tiled roof. The temple complex was first destroyed by the Portuguese & later the Dutch in the 16th century. The outer walls & smaller temples were destroyed which made the people around flee the village. The temple was completely destroyed & vandalised by the army of Tipu Sultan in the 18th century when he attacked Malabar. The attackers somehow did not destroy the central sanctum & in many ways the temple was saved from complete destruction. The temple rituals are taken care of by a trust while the complex is now a protected structure under the archaeological department of Kerala. 

Today the temple complex has been limited to a small area with other places of worship & houses coming around the Keezhthali temple. The idols which were destroyed & many of the edicts which were left to time have been housed in the Shakthan Thampuran museum. The temple still functions as one & daily pujas are conducted here. The temple today may be a shade of its old glory but the importance of the temple has not reduced even today & it really stands tall showcasing its heritage in all its beauty.