Oachira Temple : Also known as the Oachira Parabrahma Temple, is one of Kerala’s most distinctive and spiritually significant pilgrimage places. Located in the town of Oachira on the boundary of Kollam and Alappuzha districts, this ancient temple spans nearly 36 acres and is dedicated not to a physical idol, but to Parabrahma—the formless, global mind.
Oachira Temple History
For ages, Hindu tradition and the Purāṇas have regarded Oachira Temple as a hallowed site. In their early nineteenth-century survey of Travancore, British surveyors Ward and Conner discovered an old and dilapidated temple in the eastern part of what they dubbed Padanilam (a huge open plain). Around the center of this area was a big reservoir, now known as Kallukettuchira, that previously supplied both soldiers and horses.
There are several ideas on how Oachira received its name. One belief connects it to Omkarachira, which combines “Omkaram” (cosmic sound) and “chira” (pond). Others connect it back to Uvachanchira, where “Uvachan” refers to Lord Shiva. Some historians believe that “Onattuchira” (pond of the Onattu Raja) evolved over time into “Oachira.”
The temple’s spiritual philosophy is based on Advaita Vedānta, which holds that there is just one ultimate reality with no form. Rather than an idol, followers worship amid vast banyan and peepal trees to honour the immaterial Parabrahma.
Ernakulam Shiva Temple At Kochi Kerala.
History & Origins
The origin and name of Oachira are fascinating stories. According to British surveyors Ward and Conner in the early nineteenth century, there was a big reservoir (chira) in the center of the temple grounds, called as Onattuchira.
This body of water may have lent its name over time, with “Onattuchira” eventually corrupted becoming “Oachira.”
Other interpretations attribute the name to “Omkarachira” (from Omkaram, meaning cosmic sound) or “Uvachanchira,” which is associated with Lord Shiva.
Nearby Attractions Oachira Temple
- While visiting Oachira Temple, pilgrims and tourists can explore various neighboring attractions: Azheekal Beach: Located about 7-
- 9 kilometers from Oachira, this scenic stretch of the Arabian Sea is a peaceful seaside destination. Krishnapuram Palace: A medieval royal palace near Oachira.
- Chettikulangara Devi Temple is a well-known Hindu shrine nearby.
- Vethalan Kavu Mahadeva Temple: Located around 3 kilometers east of Oachira, this temple is devoted to Lord Shiva in a peculiar form.
Festivals and Rituals
- Oachirakali (June–Mithuna month)
- Well-known ceremony that includes fake battles in muddy rice fields.
- People who take part learn traditional martial arts.
- It is thought to be an old war tradition of the troops of the Kayamkulam Raja.
- Panthrandu Vilakku (Vrischikam) is between November and December.
- “Twelve Lamps” is another name for this 12-day celebration.
- Devotees dwell in makeshift huts called kudil and do serious religious ceremonies.
- Irupathattam Onam (28 Days After Onam)
- They celebrated by making big cloth and hay bull effigies (Eduppu Kala).
- People pull these effigies on wheeled platforms to the temple.
- One of the biggest livestock fairs in the Onattukara area.
