Sree Vittala Temple, Kayamkulam

Sree Vittala temple is situated close to the market about 1 km on the eastern side of NH47 Highway at Kayamkulam. This temple is locally know as the Konkani temple. One can reach the temple from Railway station or KSRTC bus stand by Auto. It is about 2 km from bus stand and 4 km from the railway station.


The temple is about 400 years old and the main deity is Sree Vittala. It is believed that Vittala or Vithoba 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) on the ninth day of the two festivals celebrated annually.

The temple is well woven with the day to day life of GSB community of Kayamkulam than any other GSB temple in Kerala.



The temple has a very disturbing 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 Venkateswara Temple (a family temple) at Kayamkulam near the present Vittoba Temple (about 500 m away).

The community chiefs met the the Raja of Kayamkulam and requested for help to construct a permanent temple for Vittala. The Raja given land and wood for construction of the Temple. There was a small Siva shrine in the land donated by the Raja and this shrine is seen even today within the Vittala Temple complex.
Source:http://www.gsbkerala.com/temple/kayan.htm