Vilwadrinatha Temple

The Vilwadrinatha Temple stands at Thiruvilwamala, on a hillock above the Bharathappuzha river in the Malabar interior. It is dedicated to Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, and his brother Lakshmana, whose idol is rare in Indian temples. It is one of the four great Rama temples of Kerala.

The temple was first administered by five Moosad families, who traced their rights to the sage Parashurama. In 392 the Chera king Cheraman Perumal granted its lands to the Perumpadappu rulers, who enlarged the estate and left worship to a twice-yearly assembly. The temple later passed to the Zamorins of Kozhikode and, after prolonged wars, to the kings of Kochi, under whom it remained a pilgrimage centre.