Thrissilery Shiva Temple, Wayanad Overview
The Thrissilery Shiva Temple in Wayanad is a well-known pilgrimage site in Kerala. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it's usually visited along with the Lord Vishnu Temple at Thirunelli, about 19 km away; ancestral rituals performed at Thirunelli are considered incomplete until a visit is also made to Thrissilery. The temple is also home to the shrine of Jala Durga, said by legend to have been installed by Parasurama himself, located by a water tank fed by the Papanasini River that is said to have never dried up.
The Thrissillery Temple is one of the oldest temples of the state. The temple is said to be built by the Rajahs of the ancient medieval ages. The temple’s main deity is Lord Shiva and hence the festival of Maha Shivaratri celebrated in February-March is the best time to visit the temple. Also, Mondays are considered an important day of the week, with unmarried youths visiting the temple for blessings. The Malayalam festival of Meenam falls in March-April and Puthari is celebrated in October-November. Seasonally, the monsoons are best avoided due to heavy rainfall and summers can get quite hot with temperatures reaching 45 degrees. Winters are the best time to visit the temple.
