Uliyannoor Mahadeva temple is located around 5 km from Aluva Railway station in Kerala. The temple is associated with Perumthachan, an ancient legendary carpenter architect, woodcarver and sculptor of Kerala.
The sreekovil of the Uliyannoor Mahadeva temple which has a circumference of 42 metres was built by Perumthachan. The sculptures and carvings in the temple were done by Perumthachan. The roof the temple is supported by by 68 wooden angles (kazhikolukal). They represent 64 art forms and the four Vedas.
It is believed that the murti of Goddess Parvati worshipped in the temple was made by Uliyannoor Perumthachan. The vigraham of Goddess Parvati is unusually smooth and when it is decorated it gives different looks at different times.
The temple pond at Uliyannoor Mahadeva temple was constructed by Perumthachan. Perumthachan was assigned to construct the temple pond. But it so happened that a dispute arose among three Karakkars (local residents) of the place as to the shape of the pond to be constructed. One group wanted a rectangular pond, another group a square pond and the third, a circular shape. Perumthachan agreed to construct a pond which would satisfy all the three conflicting demands. When the pond was constructed, the Karakkars from each of the sides were immensely pleased to see their desired shape for the pond. It was so because the original shape of the pond was none of these three but a highly irregular shape, which could create an illusion and fool the onlooker from each side.
A devotee can get on to the sopanam in the sreekovil in Uliyannoor Mahadeva temple and have darshan of Shiva. But while getting down if a person thinks that his head will hit the roof of sopanam and if he bends down then the head will definitely hit the roof. This is believed to be yet another technique of Perumthachan.
Another belief is that Perumthachan accidently dropped his chisel while building the Mukhamandapom in the temple and it fell on the neck of his son and he was killed.
A bridge was built across Aluva Puzha to connect the temple with the temple pond. A mechanical wooden doll was placed on the bridge by Perumthachan and it used to spit water on the people walking through the bridge. Son of Perumthachan built another mechanical doll with hands on the bridge and it slapped on the face of the doll built by Perumthachan when it attempted to spit water on people.