Opening ceremony at Thiruvairanikulam temple

Thiruvairanikkulam Mahadeva Temple is the most popular Siva Parvathy temple in South India. The temple is situated at Vellarappally near Kalady in Ernakulam.

A remarkable feature of this temple is that the deities of Siva and Parvathy in the temple face in the opposite direction, which is unusual.

Another unique feature is that the sanctum of Goddess Parvathy is open only for 12 days in a year.

The chief deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, who sits facing the east while the Goddess Parvathy faces the west.

It is believed that Lord Shiva and Parvathy, who reside in the temple, grant the boon of marriage to their devotees.

In front of the sanctum sanctorum is the idol of Lord Nandikeshwara and adjacent to the shrine, facing the east, is Lord Vigneshwara.

Inside the surrounding wall and outside Nalambalam, in Mithunam Rasi, facing the west, are the idols of the universal mother, Sathidevi and Goddess Kali, who dotes on her devotees.

Lord Dharmasastha, the Kaliyugavaradan, is placed in Kanni rasi, and the four-armed Lord Vishnu sits in Kumbham Rasi facing east.