Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Temple

The Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Temple stands on the Karamana River outside Thiruvananthapuram. It is the only temple in Kerala dedicated to Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, who in legend hurled his axe into the sea and made the waters retreat from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Brahmins are said to have raised the shrine in gratitude after he granted them the reclaimed land.

Counted among the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of the Vaishnava tradition, it honours Shiva with equal standing and is one of the few Hindu temples where Brahma also receives worship. The structure was last renovated between the 1100s and 1200s.

The temple draws pilgrims for the ancestor-rite of Balitharpanam on the new-moon day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam. Devotees bathe in the river before offering homage to their forefathers.