Kottiyoor Temple
കൊട്ടിയൂർ ക്ഷേത്രം
A Shiva shrine in the forest beside a river, open only during the Great Festival, held about 28 days before the monsoon season. Stone platforms in the river and grass-roofed huts give it a raw, primal atmosphere.
Kottiyoor consists of two temples on opposite banks of a river: Ikkare and Akkare. Akkare has no permanent buildings. Only during the festival are huts built from grass and bamboo, and worshippers wade through the river to circle the stone altar in the water. The Great Festival draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and visitors can see folk customs such as the Odappu flower bundles made from shaved bamboo. Akkare is closed outside the festival period. The temple is at the foot of the Western Ghats, about 65 km from Kannur.
Opening hours
During the major festival
Nearby sights
- Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
- Mahe
- Gundert Bungalow
- Thalassery Fort
- Overbury's Folly
- Paithalmala
- Dharmadam Island
- Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach