Kottarakkara Mahadeva temple is located at Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Kerala. The temple is dedicated to Mahadevar – Shiva. Shivaratri is an important festival in the shrine. The 8-day annual temple festival ends with Arattu on the Thiruvathira nakshatra in Meenam month.
Kottarakkara Mahadevar temple is a Mahakshetram as five pujas are held daily in the temple. As per some estimates, the shrine is one among the 108 Shiva temples in Kerala and thus the Shivling here was consecrated by Parashuram Avatar of Bhagavan Vishnu.
The Shivling in the temple is considerably big. The sanctum sanctorum is circular – vatta sreekovil. There is a nalambalam, temple pond, and namaskara mandapam here.
The temple was the Paradevatha kshethram of Elayadath Swaroopam. As per some people, Kottarakkara Thampuran had first performed Ramanattam, the predecessor of Kathakali, in this temple.
This is a huge temple with numerous upa devatas and various other temple structures.