The Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple is located in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This temple is over 700 years old. It is dedicated to Shiva and is located 3 km from the Central Railway Station, Bus Station, Eastern Fort and Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. An older temple of Lord Shiva and Vishnu has a similar name to this one at Puthanchantha, Thiruvananthapuram. That temple is known as Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple.
The temple also has separate shrines for Sree Mahaganapathy, Sree Dharmasastha, Sree Nagaraja, Sree Murugan, Sri Krishna and Sri Anjaneya. A holy pond can be seen on the eastern side of the temple. Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple is administered by Travancore Devaswom Board.
Ganapathy Homam, Mrithyunjaya Homam, Mrithyunjayarchana, Abhishekam, Dhara, Pushpabhishekam, Neerajanam, Venna Charthu for AnjaneyaSwamy, Ashtothararchana, Sahasranamarchana, Nateshalankaram are the Main Offerings.
The annual festival lasts for ten days and is held during the Malayalam month Dhanu (December-January). Aarattu will be the day of the star Thiruvathira, which is considered the birthday of Lord Shiva. The Shivarathri festival is also celebrated in a grand way. On this day, the idol of Lord Shiva is anointed with pure ghee for the whole day.
Srikanteswaram Shiva Temple Timings:
Morning: 4:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Evening: 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Srikanteswaram Mahadeva Temple Every Day Rituals:
| Timings | Rituals |
|---|---|
| 3.30 AM | Palliyunarth |
| 4.00 AM | NIRMALYAM |
| 4.20 AM | Abhisekham |
| 5.00 AM | Deeparadhana |
| 5.15 AM | Ganapathy Homam |
| 7.00 AM | Dhara |
| 7.40 AM | Usha Pooja |
| 8:00 AM | Shiveli |
| 8.30 AM | Pantheeradi Pooja |
| 10.00 Am | Mrithyumjaya Homam |
| 11.00 AM | Naivedyam |
| 11.45 AM | Ucha Pooja |
| 12.00 Noon | NADA ADAKKAL / Doors Closed |
| 5.00 PM | NADA THURAKKAL / Doors Open |
| 7.00 PM | Natesalankaram & Deeparadhana |
| 7.45 PM | Athazha Pooja |
| 8.10 PM | Athazha Sreebali |
| 8.25 PM | Ardhayama Pooja |
| 8.30 PM | NADA ADAKKAL / Doors Closed |
Srikanteswaram Mahadeva Temple History:
According to popular legend, there was an old sweeper who worked at the Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram temple. She used to rest after work under the shade of a tree, keeping the broom and the pot called Kalayakkudam beside her. One day when she tried to lift the pot, it did not move and she tried to break the pot using a stone. Suddenly she found that the pot was bleeding. It is said that Lord Shiva gave darshan to the old lady in the form of the Swayambhu Shiva Lingam. A temple was built on the spot and later called the Sreekanteswaram temple.
Sreekanteswaram Temple Address:
Fort Post Office,
Trivandrum,
Kerala – 695023