About Rajarajeshwara Temple

The Rajarajeswara temple is a Shiva temple located at Taliparamba in the Kannur district of Kerala, South India.

The temple is regarded as one of the existing 108 ancient Shiva Temples of Kerala. It also has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in South India. It had the tallest shikhara amongst the temples of its time. The Rajarajeshwara temple has a top of about 90 tonnes. If any problem is encountered in the other temples of South India, devotees seek a solution in this temple through a prasna, a traditional method of astrological decision making.[citation needed] The prasna is conducted on a peedha (a raised platform) outside the temple.

Legendarily, it was supposedly renovated by Sage Parashurama, long before the Kali Yuga commenced. Several centuries ago it was renovated by the Mushika (Kolathiri) dynasty kings. This temple was rebuilt into its present form in the early eleventh century. The quadrangular sanctum has a two-tiered pyramidal roof; in front of the sanctum is the namaskara mandapam, but the temple has no kodi maram (flagstaff), unlike others in Kerala. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter.