Vañcaikkaḷam Past and Present Rāmāyaṇa Panels in Kēraḷa-Mahādeva Temple

Vañcaikkaḷam is a Śiva-sthala in the Kuṭṭanāḍu region of Kēraḷa. It is one among the + 280 sthalas extolled in the Tēvāram (7.4) hymns. Noted for the typical Kēraḷa temple-type, it is unique in several respects. Saints Cēramāṉ Perumāḷ and Cuntarar are associated with the venue, and they are supposed to have visited the Kailāsa on the Himālayas in person, a rare honour that Śiva confers on the Nāyaṉmār. This may be a metaphor for considering Vañcaikkaḷam as the Śiva-loka on earth or the Dakṣiṇa-Kailāsa. Research on the architecture and iconography of the temple is scanty excepting the tidbits in Sarkar 1978 and Paramesvaran Pillai 1986. The present article presents an account of the temple from literature, and fieldbased study of architecture and iconography with special reference to the rare Rāmāyaṇa wood-carved sculptures. Keywords: Vañcaikkaḷam/Vañchikkuḷam, Vañci, Śrīkōvil, Cēramāṉ Perumāḷ, Cuntarar, Tēvāram, Tirukayilāyañāṉaulā, Rāmāyaṇa, Rāmāṣṭottaram, Rāma, Viśvāmitra, Paśupati, Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Kailāsa, wood-carved images