Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave Temple travel guide

Deity

Vinadhara Dakshinamurthy (Shiva)

Timings

9 am to 6 pm, closed Mondays

Protected since

1965 (Archaeological Survey of India)

Nearest airport

Thiruvananthapuram (about 14 km)

Nearest railway station

Thiruvananthapuram Central (about 16 km)

Distance from Kovalam

About 2 km

Ideal time needed

30 minutes

History

Vizhinjam was once the seat of local chieftains, including the Ay rulers who governed southern Kerala, and later had Dutch and British trading posts, though nothing of those survives. The cave temple is usually dated to around the 8th century. It came under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1965, and the small lawn around it is kept neat.

What to see

The shrine is cut into a single granite rock face and has just one cell, which holds an image of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthy, Shiva as the teacher holding a veena.

On the outer walls are unfinished relief carvings, including Shiva as an archer and Shiva dancing with Parvati. Some figures are only roughly blocked out, and this half-finished state gives a rare glimpse of how early South Indian sculptors worked on the stone.

Timings

The site is open from 9 am to 6 pm and is closed on Mondays. It is small, so half an hour is enough, and there is no elaborate visitor centre, only the shrine and its surroundings, and there is little shade, so early morning or late afternoon is the most comfortable time.

How to reach

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is about 14 km away and Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station about 16 km. Buses run frequently between the city and Vizhinjam, and taxis and autorickshaws are easy to find. From Kovalam it is a short auto ride of roughly 2 km.

Nearby

Combine the visit with Kovalam Beach, the Vizhinjam harbour and lighthouse, or an Ayurvedic treatment at one of the area's many resorts. We can include the cave temple in a Thiruvananthapuram and Kovalam day plan.

Also nearby