Unique among Indian temples, Koodalmanikyam is the only ancient temple dedicated to Bharata, the brother of Lord Rama, though the idol enshrined is that of Lord Vishnu. The deity is also referred to as Sangameshwara, meaning “the Lord of the Confluence.” Koodalmanikyam is one of the four temples in Kerala known collectively as Nalambalam, each devoted to one of the four brothers from the Ramayana: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. The temple has deep historical and spiritual significance.
Thachudaya Kaimal, known ceremonially as Manikkam Keralar, serves as the spiritual head and former temporal ruler of the temple and its estates. This hereditary position, with origins mentioned in the Skanda Purana, underscores the temple's longstanding religious tradition. The first recorded historical reference to the temple is a stone inscription from 854–855 AD during the reign of Chera Perumal king Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara, indicating the temple’s existence well before that time. For centuries, the temple and the Thachudaya Kaimal held significant influence in Irinjalakuda, owning much of the surrounding land until 1971.
Rituals at Koodalmanikyam differ markedly from those at other Kerala temples. While most temples observe five pujas and three sivelis daily, this temple performs only three pujas and no siveli. It omits the traditional usha puja and pantheeradi puja, and uniquely, it does not conduct deepa-aradhana (lamp worship). Camphor and sticks are not used in rituals. Only specific flowers—lotus, tulasi (Ocimum sanctum), and thechi (Ixora)—are used for offerings, although these are not cultivated within the temple compound. A signature offering is a lotus garland made of at least 101 flowers.
The temple’s annual festival takes place over ten days in the Malayalam month of Medam (April–May), beginning with the uthram asterism, which typically falls one day after the famous Thrissur Pooram festival. Each day features a traditional seeveli—a procession of seventeen caparisoned elephants accompanied by panchari melam (sacred percussion music), held both morning and evening. Two distinctive elements set this seeveli apart: the inclusion of two baby elephants beside the deity-bearing elephant and the use of gold-plated nettipattams (head ornaments) for seven elephants, with the remaining ten adorned in silver. The festival concludes with panchavadyam (a five-instrument ensemble) on the final two days, ending on the day marked by the thiruvonam asterism.
Temple Ponds also hold sacred significance. The four ponds are integral to temple life and ritual purity. Kulipini Theertham, the pond inside the temple, is believed to have been consecrated by the sage Kulipini following a major ritual (yajna), and its water is used in religious ceremonies. Priests must first bathe in the outer eastern pond, Kuttan Kulam, and then in Kulipini Theertham before performing rituals inside the sanctum. The other two ponds—Padinjare Kulam (to the west) and Thekke Kulam (to the south)—lie outside the temple walls and, along with Kuttan Kulam, are accessible to the public. These ponds occupy an area almost equal to that of the temple complex itself.
Address: Koodalmanikyam Devasom, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur District, Kerala 680121
