Sree Vittoba Devasthan (Kayamkulam)

Sree Vittoba Devasthan is situated close to the Kayamkulam market about 1 km on the eastern side of NH47 Highway at Kayamkulam. This temple is locally know as the Konkani temple.You can reach the temple from Railway station or KSRTC bus stand by Auto. Its about 2km from bus stand and also 2km from the railway station.

The temple is about 400 years old and the main deity is Sree VITTOBA. It is believed that Vittoba or Vittala is Naada Murthi and is fond of bhajans and He does not need other poojas. The speciality of the temple is its Chariot and the "RATHOLSAVAM" (pulling of the Chariot around the temple).Two festivals celebrated annually.
"Unlike other GSB temples, only this temple is facing to West". The temple pond is inside the temple on the right side after entrance from the main gate. An idol of Vittoji who brought the Vittala vigraha from Pandharpur is seen near the Naga prathista inside the temple premises.
The temple has a very Great history.
The temple is believed to be constructed in the early 18th century by the GSBs of Kayamkulam with the help of Raja of Kayamkulam who was a devotee of Lord Krishna. Some of the families who migrated to kerala in the late 16th century settled in Kayamkulam. A pundit by name Vittoba once took a pilgrimage to North India and on the way reached Pandharpur which is the seat of Panduranga Vittala. He got a divine idol of Vittala from a temple in Pandharpur and carried it with him back to Kayamkulam. He kept the idol in his house and worshipped it as his Kuladevata. Once he had a dream that Vittala wanted him to offer the idol to the public for worship.The idol was then shifted and kept in the Venkitachalapathy Temple (a family temple) at Kayamkulam near the present Vittoba Temple (about 200mtr away).

The community chiefs met the the Raja of Kayamkulam and requested for help to construct a permanent temple for Vittoba. Then the Raja gave land and wood for construction of the Temple. There was a small Siva temple in the land donated by the Raja and this shrine is seen even today within the Vittoba Devasthan complex.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:  9°10'50"N 76°30'2"E

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This article was last modified 6 years ago