Plan your sacred journey to the Grand Temples of South India
Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthy and Vaikom Tour
Three Shiva temples near Kottayam that devotees visit on one day before the midday Ucha Pooja: Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthy and Vaikom.
- Kerala
- One Morning
- Shiva Temples
- Kottayam
About Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthy and Vaikom Tour
Three Shiva temples near Kottayam tied by one legend, that the lingas the demon Khara carried came to rest at Vaikom, Ettumanoor and Kaduthuruthy. By custom, devotees worship at all three on the same day before Ucha Pooja, the midday worship, which is held to be highly auspicious.
Legend says the lingas the demon Khara carried came to rest at Vaikom, Ettumanoor and Kaduthuruthy, and by custom devotees worship at all three on the same day before Ucha Pooja, the midday worship. Kaduthuruthy lies between the other two.
Temples on this Tour (3)
- 1View Details
Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple
Shiva
Ettumanoor
Start at the southern end of the trio, near Kottayam.
- 2
View DetailsKaduthuruthy Mahadeva Temple
Shiva
Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy lies midway between the other two.
- 3
View DetailsVaikom Mahadeva Temple
Shiva
Vaikom
Finish at Vaikom before Ucha Pooja.
Route Map
Tour Highlights
- Ettumanoor
- Kaduthuruthy
- Vaikom
1-Day Route from Kottayam
Every night in Kottayam. Allow 1 days for the 3 temples, or 1 for a slower family pace. Add your travel to and from Kottayam separately.
Day 1
- Ettumanoor Mahadeva TempleShivaOpen 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with breaks
- Kaduthuruthy Mahadeva TempleShivaOpen 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with breaks
- Vaikom Mahadeva TempleShivaOpen 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with breaks
The custom asks for all three on one day before Ucha Pooja (reported at about 11:00 at each temple, so aim to reach the last by 10:30); this order follows the road with Kaduthuruthy in the middle.
Customs, rules and beliefs
- RitualsVisit all three temples on the same day and finish before noon. Popular accounts tie the cutoff to the midday Ucha Pooja, but the official page says only before noon.
- RitualsA Vadakkumkoor ruler is said to have worshipped at all three on one day. When age stopped him, he installed Ettumanoorappan at the south gate and Vaikathappan at the north of Kaduthuruthy, so worship there is believed to bring the triple benefit in one visit.
- Good to knowEttumanoor's ten-day festival in Kumbham (February to March) includes the midnight Ezhara Ponnana darshan on the eighth day.
What devotees believe
- Devotees consider prayers at all three temples before noon on one day to be highly auspicious. This is a local belief, not a promise of results.
These are traditions and beliefs, described as devotees hold them. The temples set their own rituals and fees.
Sources: kaduthuruthypanchayat.lsgkerala.gov.in, vaikomtemple.org, en.wikipedia.org · checked 23 Oct 2026
Optional stops nearby
Bird sanctuaries, dams, parks and falls near this tour's temples. They are optional: the route and cost above do not include them. Distances are straight-line from the nearest temple.
- Bird sanctuaryKumarakom Bird SanctuaryAbout 13 km from Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple
A 14-acre wooded sanctuary on the shore of Vembanad Lake, run by the state tourism corporation. Herons, egrets, cormorants and kingfishers nest here, and migrants arrive in winter.
- Hours
- 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM, all days
- Entry
- Adults Rs 100, children Rs 50 (tickets at the counter only)
- Best season
- November to February for migratory birds; June to August for nesting of resident water birds.
- Closed
- The sanctuary was being renovated in 2026, with completion expected around September 2026 per a local news report; no official reopening notice was found, so confirm before going.
- For families
- A trail of about 2 km runs through the wooded sanctuary.
- LakeAlappuzha backwaters and Vembanad LakeAbout 30 km from Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
A network of canals and lagoons joining Vembanad, Kerala's largest lake, seen from houseboats, motor boats or government ferries. Pathiramanal, a bird island in the lake, is reached only by boat.
- For families
- Government-run passenger boats are another way to see the backwaters besides houseboats. Pathiramanal island is open 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
- Theme parkWonderla KochiAbout 31 km from Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
An amusement park with dry rides and a separate water park, on the Kakkanad to Pallikkara road.
- Hours
- Park 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekends; water park 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Sources: dtpckottayam.com, dtpcalappuzha.com, wonderla.com · checked 23 Oct 2026
Getting to Kottayam
Kochi is about 90 km from Kottayam and nearer still to Vaikom, against about 160 km from Thiruvananthapuram (TRV). Staying the night before in Kottayam or Vaikom makes the before-noon custom easy.
By air
- Cochin International Airport (COK)about 90 km, about 2 hr to 2 hr 30 min by road
- Trivandrum International Airport (TRV)about 160 km, about 3 hr 30 min to 4 hr by road
By train
- Kottayam (KTYM)The district's main station and the tour base, about 11 km from Ettumanoor temple per Kerala Tourism. 59 trains are listed from Ernakulam Junction, most taking 1 hr to 1 hr 10 min; 42 from Thiruvananthapuram Central, the fastest Vande Bharat 20634 in about 2 hr.
- Ettumanur (ETM)Kerala Tourism puts the station about 2 km from Ettumanoor temple. 11 trains are listed from Ernakulam Junction, taking about 56 min to 1 hr 17 min.
- Vaikom Road (VARD)On the Ernakulam to Kottayam line, about 9 km from Vaikom temple and about 3 km from Kaduthuruthy temple per Wikipedia. 10 trains are listed from Ernakulam Junction, most taking 46 to 50 min.
By road
- Kochi to Ettumanoorabout 54 km, about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 45 min to Ettumanoor; Vaikom is about 33 km
- Kottayam to Ettumanoorabout 11 km, about 20 to 30 min
- Ettumanoor to Kaduthuruthyabout 15 km, about 20 to 30 min
- Kaduthuruthy to Vaikomabout 15 km, about 20 to 30 min
Sources: kottayam.nic.in, erail.in, erail.in, erail.in, router.project-osrm.org, keralatourism.org, router.project-osrm.org, router.project-osrm.org · checked 22 Oct 2026
Questions Visitors Ask
Why visit these three temples on one morning?
By custom, devotees worship at Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthy and Vaikom on the same day before Ucha Pooja, the midday worship, and hold this to be highly auspicious.
What links the three temples?
A legend says the lingas the demon Khara carried came to rest at Vaikom, Ettumanoor and Kaduthuruthy.
Plan this Tour
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Estimated Trip Cost
₹ 62,996
for 4 people (1 Day)
≈ ₹ 15,749 per person for the trip
- Return flights · published fare example₹57,296Chennai ↔ Kochi: ₹7162 + ₹7162. Airline examples checked 2026-10-19 × 4 people. Economy; not a live fare for your dates. Rate source
- 1 × AC sedan with driver₹4,1001 × (250 billed km × ₹14 + 1 days × ₹600 driver). Up to 4 passengers per vehicle, driver separate. AC; fuel budgeted within the per-km hire, inclusions to confirm. Minimum 250 km/day; route 147 km. Chennai operator example; pickup in your region to confirm. Rate source
- 0 nights · 2 rooms₹00 nights × 2 rooms × ₹2,305/night. Two people per room, rounded up. Hotel Raya’s Standard AC, Kumbakonam published reference including tax; availability elsewhere to confirm. Rate source
- Simple local meals · all travellers₹1,6001 days × 4 people × ₹400/day. Planning allowance.
- Tolls, parking and personal spending
- Home/station transfers, travel-day meals and extra nights
- Permits, garage/pickup kilometres, driver accommodation and operator taxes, if charged
Assumptions & what changes this estimate
References checked 19 October 2026. Rooms use the linked hotel’s published examples. Meals, fuel, bus and train are budgeting allowances. Bus/train costs use approximate distance, not ticket searches or confirmed classes. Flight examples are economy fares; Luxury upgrades your stay and local vehicle, not your flight cabin. Cab and rental examples need confirmation for your arrival region.
Basic sets rooms, meals and hired vehicle class. Own-vehicle fuel and economy return fares do not change with the stay tier. Dates do not fetch live prices.
Hotel references are Kumbakonam examples, including the published tax, used as a budget across the trip. They are not confirmed rooms in every town. Meals and fuel are planning allowances. All travellers use the same allowance; no child discount is assumed.
Cab minimums and room sharing mean some changes can leave a line unchanged. Travel quotes entered by you are fixed group totals. Prices and availability must be confirmed before booking.