Oachira Parabrahma Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is about 105 km away, the nearest airport.

• By train

  Kayamkulam Junction is the nearest railway station, about 11 km away.

• By road

  The temple lies on National Highway 66 at the Kollam and Alappuzha border, served by KSRTC buses.

Why devotees come here

Oachira Parabrahma Temple stands in Oachira village in Kollam district, Kerala, close to the Alappuzha border. It is dedicated to Parabrahmam, the universal consciousness. Its unusual feature is that it has no idol.

Oachira Parabrahma Temple is dedicated to Parabrahmam, also called Omkaram, the universal consciousness. The temple practises worship without an idol and reveres the supreme force of Nature. The temple has no defined layout and no idol, which sets it apart.

A strong belief holds that the name Oachira comes from Uvachanchira, which means Shiva. The temple is an ancient temple in Oachira, in the Karunagapally taluk of Kollam district.

Unlike other temples, it has no covered structure. People worship Parabrahmam under the trees. The temple sits near National Highway 66, which links Kollam and Alappuzha districts. The Ochira Kali festival is held in June on the first two days of Mithunam, the Malayalam month. Boys and men reenact a battle in two groups in a waterlogged field called padanilam. The annual Oachira Vrischikam Festival is held in December and January.

Festivals

• June, on the first two days of Mithunam (mid-June)Ochira Kali (Oachirakkali)

  Boys and men reenact a battle in two groups in a waterlogged field called padanilam.

• December and JanuaryOachira Vrischikam Festival

  The annual festival of the temple.

• 28 days after OnamIrupathattam Onam

  Giant bull effigies made of cloth and hay are pulled to the temple on large wheeled platforms.

Tips for your visit

• Festival dates are approximate, so confirm them with local authorities before you plan a visit.
• Ochira Kali attracts numerous visitors.

Questions people ask