ABOUT

Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple or Old Sreekanteswaram Temple, located at Puthenchantha in Thiruvananthapuram, is one of the ancient Shiva temples in Kerala. According to the renowned historian Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, this temple existed even in the 9th century AD. This temple is the original abode of the Lord of new Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple. The new temple is situated just outside the "North Fort" in Thiruvananthapuram. Lord Siva and Lord Krishna (Vishnu) are the principal deities in Old Sreekanteswaram. The linga of Sreekanteswara (Siva) is believed to have been installed by Sree Parashurama. There was a story that once there was an old sweeper maid in this temple, who used to work in Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram temple. After a day’s work, the tired old maid used to take rest under the shade of a tree near her hut. She would keep her broom and pot near a tree. One day it so happened that after her rest, she tried to lift the pot but it did not move. So she tried to break the pot using a stone. To her great shock, she found that the pot was bleeding profusely. It is believed that Lord Shiva gave darshan to the old lady. On further enquiry, it was confirmed to be 'Swayambhu Shiva Linga'. The Maharaja of Travancore inspected the spot and ordered to build a new Shiva temple, which in the later years became the famous Sreekanteswaram temple. Lord Shiva is the presiding Deity of the temple. Though his consort Sree Parvathi does not have any idol, she is ever present in the sanctum. There is a sanctum for Lord Sastha within the Chuttambalam. Bhootathan, Lord Ganapathi, the serpent gods and Lord Krishna dwell outside the Chuttambalam. There are many devotees who argue that the idol worshipped as Bhootathan is actually a Yakshi .Lord Hanuman and Lord Muruga , both carved on pillars near the flagmast, receive worship from devotees. All the deities here face east. The sacred temple pond is seen on the eastern side.