Thrikakkudi Guha Kshetram – Pathanamthitta
Kaviyoor is a small town located on the banks of the Manimala River. It is located five km east of Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district. The Kaviyoor Thrikakkudi rock cut temple is located here. Its carvings and rock sculptures are still standing. It gets its name from ‘kalkudy’ which, in Malayalam means ‘cut out of rock’. The structure is preserved by the Archaelogical Department of India.
The temple stands 18ft tall. Resembling the Pallava style of architecture, it was built between 608 AD and 850 AD, and the main attraction is the Shiva linga carved out of a single rock. A Ganesh idol here is famous, too. The idyllic carvings of the dwarapalakas are beautiful. On the northern and southern wings of the temple are sculptures of Ganesh. Nearby, there are other temples, too, that are worth a visit.
There are buses from Kochi, Adoor and Kottayam that will take you to this quaint town. The nearest railhead is at Chenganur. Airports at Kochi and Trivandrum are about four and two hours away, respectively.
