The 1500-year-old Sree Trikkaipatta Mahakshetra Subramanya Swamy temple at Ponnamkode Kunnu near the Kozhikode Cyber Park is about to be rededicated. The temple’s restoration is almost complete. The temple’s consecration and Kalasabhishekam will be held on May 20th. Related Tantric rituals began on the 12th.
The ancient Sree Thrikkaipatta Mahakshetram temple destroyed or fell into ruin and buried 700 years ago, is rising again at Kozhikode, Kerala.
The three-tiered Sree Kovil (Sanctum Sanctorum/ Garbha Griha) is the largest of its type in the state. Its circumference is 51.12 metres, and its height is 18 metres. The Sree Kovil is reconstructed in a unique apsidal shape (Gaja Brishta), a sitting elephant’s back or hip portion.
The deity here is a seven-foot-tall Shri Krishna Bhagwan Murti. In 1994, the murti found in a broken state was also seven and a half feet tall.
The temple’s construction started on 18 January 2009 and avoids using concrete. Instead, it rigorously adheres to the old Vastu Shastra principles and uses traditional materials like river sand, white lime, copper, red laterite stone bricks, and high-quality lumber.
The temple renovation committee is also working on the speedy completion of the shrines for Bhagwati, Kirathamurthy and Paramasivan, which used to exist in the same place.
“This reconstruction aims not only to restore the physical structure but also to revive the spiritual and cultural ethos associated with the temple,” said K Muralidharan, general secretary of the temple committee.
Inside, the temple is designed with multiple Antharkalams (inner circles) and carvings, preserving the ancient architectural aesthetics. The new temple design incorporates traditional architectural elements, such as sculpted roofing and detailed wood carvings, to showcase Kerala’s exquisite craftsmanship. Contrary to the modern architecture we promote, the project was built without architectural drawings.
Some twenty-five years ago, a group of young enthusiasts began excavating at the hill. They were inspired by a succession of divine intuitions by local Hindu devotees. Through these attempts, fragments of ancient temple constructions were discovered, including damaged idols, pillar bases known as Omakkals, and architectural columns.
The artefacts, estimated to be around 750 years old, supported oral histories passed through centuries. The rediscovery sparked curiosity and prompted in-depth investigation and study with the assistance of renowned archaeologists and historians, including Drs. MGS Narayanan, K K Muhammad, and M G Sasibhooshan.
After thorough studies, astrologers, Vedic scholars, and tantric chiefs agreed that Bhagwan Subramanya was the principal deity housed here.
Muralidharan also informed that the state government and the Cyber Park had led the construction of an 800-meter-long road through the Cyber Park’s boundary to reach the eastern side of the temple.
The consecration and Kalasabhishekam will occur on May 20 between 6:30 and 7:45 a.m. The ceremonies, which take place from 11 May to 23 May, will honour the architectural wonder and the renaissance of a significant portion of Kerala’s history.
In December 2015, the Sree Thrikkaipatta, while undergoing restoration work, was the venue for Srichakra Navavarana Puja, which is rarely held in North Kerala. Temple Tantri Tharananallur West Mana Padmanabhan Namboothiripad presided over the puja. Organized according to the Kerala Puja Tantras, the Puja was performed with various Payasams (sweet kheers), 28 special Nivedyas, and traditional temple dances and music.
The temple is 8 km from Kozhikode Railway Station and 25 km from Karipur Airport on the way to Kozhikode City.
