Although on a funny note, a recent finding was brought to the limelight by some significant personalities at the centre that there is a number of spiritual centres than that of the basic amenities in the country. In fact, the whole controversial declaration is indeed true. When concerned with the state of Kerala, this is truer. For any tourist visiting the state of Kerala, they have enough reasons for visiting all those ancient and architectural marvels of Kerala. Listed here are some of the major pilgrimage centres in the state of Kerala where the believers throng to.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
Located in the heart of the capital city of Kerala, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple comes in the top charts of one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in the country. If you are starting your journey from Central Railway Station, catch any taxi from the station premises itself. Moreover, there could be numerous prepaid taxis that could be charged with lower rates. Barely a 2km drive from the station you take you to the temple. Meanwhile, for any tourist coming from International Airport could reach their destination within 20 minutes covering 4.6 km. Moreover, for the pilgrims who are planning to stay for some days may in the temple premises, they may stay over in any of the hotels nearby.
Thirunelli Temple in Wayanad
The splendid ancient temple of Wayanad is at the height of 990m above the sea level situated in the banks of stream Papanashini. Being situated amidst the dense forest of Wayanad, you could only reach the destination only by travelling around 30km from Manathavady by either a bus or a taxi. Once you had arrived at Thirunelli, you may take a dip in the holy river and adore at the ancient rock-cut structures. However, there are no places for accommodation near the temple considering its remoteness. Besides the temple, various other tourist spots such as Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary can be visited on your holy trip if you are having enough time. Furthermore, if your travel route to Thirunelli is via Sultan Bathery, you would be having a tough time by driving in the narrow roads.
St.Mary’s Forane Church of Kuravilangad in Kottayam
The sizeable Christian population in the district says much about their prominence in the place. Visiting the St.Mary’s Forane Church while on your visit to Kottayam will be worth it. The nearest major railway at Kottayam to the church in Kuravilangad is at a distance of 18km from the main city. Once you had reached the Church, you may catch a glimpse of the granite Virgin Mary statute and the massive single block cross erected right in the front portion of the building. Also, you may offer some coconut oil that has to be filled in the lamps set in the latter. This is deemed as a prominent ritual of the Church. Yet another fascinating attraction of Church is a wooden ship and an inscribed bell. Most surprisingly, the time in which the ancient pilgrimages centre of St.Mary’s Forane Church has constructed dates back to 355 AD.
Juma Masjid of Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram
As the highly visited Islamic pilgrimage centre is sited right in the main city with merely at a distance of 2 km, you could reach the mosque by hiring a taxi from the Railway station of Thiruvanathapuram. So you don’t have to wait for its inclusion in any tour package and you may visit on your own. Unlike other mosques of the country, believers of any community can worship in this classic Islamic pilgrimage centre. Furthermore, the mosque had been in the headlines for being the first of its kind to let the women pray. Moreover, you could find the real harmony of different religious communities within close proximity with the presence of a church and Ganesh Temple nearby.
Guruvayoor Temple in Thrissur
The temple at Guruvayoor could be one of the most popular spiritual centres of the State. Hindu followers of all the neighbouring states visit this temple town of Guruvayoor that worships Sree Krishna. As a matter of fact, Guruvayoor is also known as ‘Dwaraka of the South.’ Travelling a distance of 30km from Thrissur Railway Station would take you to the temple. Apart from that, there are various buses that connect Guruvayoor to all major cities in the South. After your spiritual time, for some delightsome moments, you may stopover to the nearby Elephant Sanctuary of Punnathur Kotta. At the sanctuary, you may behold the largest land animal in their every mood at very closer distances. However, some points to be considered before your visit to the temple is that only Hindus are allowed to enter the sanctum of the temple and try not to visit during public holidays and weekends.
Sabarimala Temple in Pathanamthitta
Though the Temple was in the headlines recently for all those odd reasons, the number of believers who are visiting the temple is growing rather than decreasing. The renowned temple of Sabarimala, situated at a height of 900 metres, can be visited only through roadways. Nevertheless, from the railway stations of Chengannur and Thiruvalla, the gateway of Sabarimala at Pampa is at a distance of 90km. From there, you would be required to trek all through the wild paths covering around 4 km. Besides the first days of every Malayalam months, the hill shrine ill only is opened from the mid of November to January in the ‘Mandalakaalam.’
When you are vacationing in a state like Kerala, dropping into any of these pilgrimage centres is a ‘must-do’ thing. Major temples, mosques and churches are located in faraway places of the state and the roads leading to them can be treacherous, especially when self-driving. In such instances, the efficient online taxi services such as Dream Cabs can be of great help to visit these pilgrimage centres. They have employed expert drivers to commute between these locations in accordance with the travel requirements of each of their guest. Furthermore, the firm does possess various luxury, premium and economy cars from which you may choose the cabs that would offer you the most comfortable ride!