This is a list of the 108 Shiva Temples mentioned in the Shivalaya Stothram.[1][2][definition needed]
Background
According to Hindu beliefs, Lord
Parasurama created the land between
Gokarna and
Kanyakumari. It is said that
Kerala was reclaimed from the ocean using his
axe for donating to Brahmins after the killing of
King Kartavirya Arjuna and other Kshatriyas.[3] He split this land in to 64 villages (64 gramas). Out of these 64 villages, 32 villages are in between
Perumpuzha and
Gokarnam and the spoken language was
Tulu. The remaining 32 villages were in the
Malayalam-speaking area between
Perumpuzha and
Kanyakumari.[4][5]
Parasurama is the sixth avatar of
Maha Vishnu; he was the youngest son of sage
Jamadagni and
Renuka. According to legend, after donating the land to Brahmins, one hundred and eight Maha
Shiva Lingam and
Durga idols were installed in these 64 villages. These hundred and eight Shiva temples are mentioned in the Shivala Sotram and a song is written in the
Malayalam language.[6] Of the 108 Shiva temples, 105 temples are situated in Kerala state, two temples in
Karnataka and one in Kanyakumari District of
Tamil Nadu.[7]
^Book Title: Pilgrimage to Temple Heritage; Author: Info kerala Communications Pvt. Ltd; Editor: Mr.Biju Mathew; Publisher: Info Kerala Communications Pvt Ltd, 2017;
ISBN819345670X, 9788193456705
^Book Title: The Collected Aithihyamaala - The Garland of legends from Kerala Volume 1-3, Author: Kottarathil Sankunni Translated by Leela James,
ISBN978-93-5009-968-1; Publisher: Hachette Book Publishing india Pvt Ltd, 4/5 floor, Corporate Centre, Plot No.:94, Sector 44, Gurgaon, India 122003; (First published in Bhashaposhini Literary Magazine in 1855~1937)
^Book Title: Kerala District Gazetteers: Palghat; Gazetteer of India Volume 6 of Kerala District Gazetteers, Kerala (India) Authors Kerala (India), C. K. Kareem Publisher printed by the Superintendent of Govt. Presses, 1976 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized 2 Sep 2008 Subjects History › Asia › India & South Asia History / Asia / India & South Asia Kerala (India)
^Book Title A handbook of Kerala, Volume 2 A Handbook of Kerala, T. Madhava Menon Authors T. Madhava Menon, International School of Dravidian Linguistics Publisher International School of Dravidian Linguistics, 2002 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized 2 Sep 2008
ISBN8185692319, 9788185692319 Length: 496 pages; Kerala (India)
^Book Title: 108 Siva Kshetrangal, Author:Kunjikuttan Ilayath, Publishers: H and C Books
This is a list of the 108 Shiva Temples mentioned in the Shivalaya Stothram.[1][2][definition needed]
Background
According to Hindu beliefs, Lord
Parasurama created the land between
Gokarna and
Kanyakumari. It is said that
Kerala was reclaimed from the ocean using his
axe for donating to Brahmins after the killing of
King Kartavirya Arjuna and other Kshatriyas.[3] He split this land in to 64 villages (64 gramas). Out of these 64 villages, 32 villages are in between
Perumpuzha and
Gokarnam and the spoken language was
Tulu. The remaining 32 villages were in the
Malayalam-speaking area between
Perumpuzha and
Kanyakumari.[4][5]
Parasurama is the sixth avatar of
Maha Vishnu; he was the youngest son of sage
Jamadagni and
Renuka. According to legend, after donating the land to Brahmins, one hundred and eight Maha
Shiva Lingam and
Durga idols were installed in these 64 villages. These hundred and eight Shiva temples are mentioned in the Shivala Sotram and a song is written in the
Malayalam language.[6] Of the 108 Shiva temples, 105 temples are situated in Kerala state, two temples in
Karnataka and one in Kanyakumari District of
Tamil Nadu.[7]
^Book Title: Pilgrimage to Temple Heritage; Author: Info kerala Communications Pvt. Ltd; Editor: Mr.Biju Mathew; Publisher: Info Kerala Communications Pvt Ltd, 2017;
ISBN819345670X, 9788193456705
^Book Title: The Collected Aithihyamaala - The Garland of legends from Kerala Volume 1-3, Author: Kottarathil Sankunni Translated by Leela James,
ISBN978-93-5009-968-1; Publisher: Hachette Book Publishing india Pvt Ltd, 4/5 floor, Corporate Centre, Plot No.:94, Sector 44, Gurgaon, India 122003; (First published in Bhashaposhini Literary Magazine in 1855~1937)
^Book Title: Kerala District Gazetteers: Palghat; Gazetteer of India Volume 6 of Kerala District Gazetteers, Kerala (India) Authors Kerala (India), C. K. Kareem Publisher printed by the Superintendent of Govt. Presses, 1976 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized 2 Sep 2008 Subjects History › Asia › India & South Asia History / Asia / India & South Asia Kerala (India)
^Book Title A handbook of Kerala, Volume 2 A Handbook of Kerala, T. Madhava Menon Authors T. Madhava Menon, International School of Dravidian Linguistics Publisher International School of Dravidian Linguistics, 2002 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized 2 Sep 2008
ISBN8185692319, 9788185692319 Length: 496 pages; Kerala (India)
^Book Title: 108 Siva Kshetrangal, Author:Kunjikuttan Ilayath, Publishers: H and C Books