Sri Moozhikkulathappan / Lakshmana Perumal Temple

Sri Moozhikkulathappan Temple at Thirumoozhikkulam is a prominent Divya Desam in Ernakulam district, praised by Kulasekhara Azhwar in his Perumal Thirumozhi. The deity is known as Moozhikkulathappan — "the Lord of the Sacred Pool (Kulam)" — and also as Lakshmana Perumal, associating Him with Lord Rama's devoted brother Lakshmana, who embodies selfless service and unwavering loyalty. The temple is celebrated for its magnificent annual festival featuring a grand procession with caparisoned elephants, traditional Kerala percussion ensembles (chenda melam and panchavadyam), and elaborate rituals. Kulasekhara Azhwar, the Chera king-saint who ruled from Kerala, sang with intense personal devotion about this Lord, expressing his longing to be a doorstep or a fish in the temple tank — anything that would keep him close to the Lord forever. The temple's Kerala-style architecture, with its circular sreekovil and intricately painted murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Bhagavatam, is among the finest in Malai Nadu.