| Driving 12 kms north of Kottayam town brings you to the ancient Shiva temple at Ettumanoor, said to have been built in the 16th century. Revered as a Hindu pilgrimage site, the temple has a unique feature - its valiyavilakku. The giant oil lamp, situated at the entrance of the main shrine has remained lit for over 450 years, sustained by donations of oil from its devotees. As you walk through the temple premises, you are struck by the uniqueness of its architectural style. The temple is a beautiful specimen of the indigenous Kerala style of architecture incorporating clear-cut woodcarvings and murals, including an exceptional one of Shiva as Nataraja. The shrine is inlaid with beautiful carvings of scenes from the Ramayana, Bhagavatha and Krishna Leela. The copper plated conical roof, which crowns the central shrine, is in itself a majestic structure. The State Archaeological Centre runs a Mural Art Centre near the temple. The annual festival of the temple is celebrated over ten days in the month of February or March. On the eighth and tenth days, priests bring out the temple's golden elephants - seven large specimens made from 95 kilos of gold and a smaller elephant that is half the weight, which were presented by the eighteenth century Raja of Travancore. | 
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