Vaikathashtami
Vaikathashtami is the most auspicious festival celebrated at the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight in the Malayalam month of Vrishchikam (November/December).
The festival commemorates the day Lord Shiva appeared before the sage Vyaghrapada. The highlight is the Prathal (grand feast), which is considered a sacred offering. On the final night, a magnificent procession features the meeting of the deities from neighboring temples, accompanied by caparisoned elephants and traditional percussion like the Panchavadyam. It is a major spiritual gathering, drawing thousands of devotees to one of Kerala’s oldest and most revered shrines.
Vaikathashtami is the most auspicious festival celebrated at the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight in the Malayalam month of Vrishchikam (November/December).
The festival commemorates the day Lord Shiva appeared before the sage Vyaghrapada. The highlight is the Prathal (grand feast), which is considered a sacred offering. On the final night, a magnificent procession features the meeting of the deities from neighboring temples, accompanied by caparisoned elephants and traditional percussion like the Panchavadyam. It is a major spiritual gathering, drawing thousands of devotees to one of Kerala’s oldest and most revered shrines.
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Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
