Nalpathaneeswaram Sree Mahadeva temple is located at Panavally, around 11 km from Cherthala, in Alappuzha district, Kerala. The annual festival in the temple begins with Kodiyettam on Uthrattathi Nakshatra and the festival ends on Thiruvathira nakshatra day in Kumbha month.
Kathakali is the most important art form performed during the festival in the temple. All Kathakali performances in the temple should end with Keeratham Katha.
The temple is also known as Nalpathaneeswaram Keerathamurti Temple.
It is believed that the temple was originally owned by 48 illams and therefore the name Nalpathaneeswaram (Nalpatheyettu means 48 in Malayalam). Another belief is that this is the 48th Pratishta of Kharamuni in Kerala. There is doubt among believers that whether the Pratishta in the temple was performed by Kharamuni or Parashuram.
Shiva worshipped in the temple is the Keerathamurti form. The deity faces east.
The deities Ganapathy, Durga, Bhagavathy and Nagayakshi have separate sreekovil. The Upa Devatas in the temple are Varahamurthy, Rakshas, Chowa, Nagaraja and Ayyappa.