Thiruvanchikkulam was the capital of the Chera kingdom

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

. Thiruvanchikulam is situated near the modern city of Kochi

Kochi

-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...

 in the Kerala Province of modern India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 south to Mahodayapuram

Kodungallur

Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...

 and north to former Muziris

Muziris

Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...

, the famous sea port on the Malabar coast

Malabar Coast

The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...

. Thiruvanchikulam was later ruled by Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam).

Mahadeva Temple is one of the oldest Siva temples in south India where Lord Siva is said to live along with his whole family. This temple has got a healthy relation with south India's famous Chidambaram

Chidambaram

Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...

 temple. This temple has another rare event called "Anayottam" (Elephant race) which is part of the annual festival. Lord Shiva of the Thiruvanchikulam temple is the family god of Cochin Royal Family (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Thiruvanchikulam temple has the oldest reference in history. The reference is present in old Tamil sangam literature, well before malayalam was formed.

Kavalappara Komban’s (The Tusker) last crazy aggression happened during the festival time of Thiruvanchikulam.

Thiruvanchikulam Kutti Chidambaran (The Tusker) was one of the regular participant of famous Thrissur pooram of that time. (for Paramekkavu)

The highlights of Thiruvanchikulam temple includes a conical copper plated “Vimanam”, a ‘Namaskara mandapam’ inside that a ‘Rishabham’’ and a ‘Gopura Dwaram’ (there were 2 ‘Gopuram Dwarams’ and one (west) got destroyed by Tippu during his famous ‘Padayottam’) on the east.

As per the traditional enjoining, a “Chakyar” comes to Thiruvanchikulm temple with his “Aneelam” (the costumes used by him for performances) wrapped in a ‘Pattu’ (silk cloth) and hang it on the nail driven in the temple when he looses his ability to perform the ‘Koothu’. There are 18 such nails can be seen in the temple periphery. This is the very reason for not performing “Koothu” during this temple’s annul festival.

Upa-prathishta of this temple includes :-

1. Gopurathingal Thevar

2. Nadakkal Thevar

3. Palliyara Shivan

4. Paiiyara (Bedroom of Shiva & Parvathi - used only during night)

5. Sakthi Panchakashari

6. Parvathi-Parameshawarn, Bhagavathi

7. Kanakasabhapathi

8. Sapthamathikkal, Veerabhadran and Bhadrakali

9. Chandikeshwaran

10. Unni Thevar

11. Ganapathi

12. Cheramar Perumal, Sundaramoorthi Nayanar

13. Bhrigeerati

14. Sandhyavelakkal Shivan

15. Subramaniyan

16. Durga Bhagavathi

17. Kottarathil Thevar

18. Ganga Bhagavathi

19. Konnakkal Shivan

20. Dakshinamoorthi

21. Ayyappan, Hanuman and Nagadaivam

22. Pasupathi

Devara Temple and History

ThiruVanchiKulam shiva temple was sung by the great nayanmar(shiva devotee) sundar around 1600 years ago when Tamil and malayalam was a single language. The devara song praising the god in two pathigam which consist of 12 x 2 = 24 songs as per HolyIndia Org devaram songs. The song says about the city and it specifies it located on the shore of sea. The detail song in Tamil form can be accessted from holyindia. The mural paintings of 16th -17th century AD on the walls of the Siva Temple are treated as protected monument by the Archaelogical Survey of India.