Sasthamangalam Mahadevar Temple


The Sasthamangalam Mahadevar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated near Paipinmood Junction in the Sasthamangalam ward of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, Kerala State, India. It is located on top of a hill away from the city centre, thus preserving the spiritual tranquility of the shrine. The temple is more than 700 years old according to the available records, and was regularly visited by the Kings of Travancore. It is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.

Foundation legend

The foundation legend is that when the site of the temple was still grassland, a woman cutting grass sharpened her knife on a rock lying on the ground, and the rock bled. On further investigation it was confirmed that the piece of stone was a shiva lingam and it was consecrated. The temple was constructed round the spot in due course.

Deities and sub-deities

In this temple the main deity is Lord Shiva as Uma Maheshwara, and the sub-deities are Ganapathi and Dharma Sastha. Outside the temple compound on the banks of Killi River, murthis of Bhadrakali and Veerabhadran, Nagarajah and Nagayakshi are consecrated.

Main Festivals

The main annual temple festival here lasts for ten days, commencing on the Thiruvathira Star Day with the hoisting of a flag on the golden flagstaff in the Malayalam month of Dhanu and ending with the Aarattu ceremony on the tenth day. The ceremonies of Pradosham, Shivrathri, Makara Vilakku and so on are all auspicious at this temple.

Usual offerings

Offerings are made by devotees in the form of anointing the deity with water, rosewater, milk, tender coconut water, ghee and so on; presenting garlands made up of sacred leaves of the bael tree ; Ganapathi Homam, Mrityunjaya Homam ; Archana; Muzhukappu ; payasam and so on. Annadanam is offered on festival days.

Beliefs and customs

In most of the Shiva temples such as Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, going round the sanctum is not allowed: the custom is to finish three quarters of the pradakshinam and then to return and start from the beginning.. In this temple, however, as a practice followed from the early days and found by astrological consultation not to be wrong, the full pradakshinam is allowed.
Even though there is no murthi or shrine for Devi Parvathi, the consort of Lord Shiva, the belief is that the presence of Devi Parvathi is also there, as stated in an ancient poem which is recited in this temple.