5/5 Jeeja J. 2 years ago on Google
Vizhinjam
Cave
Temple
is
an
8th
century
AD
Hindu
temple
at
Vizhinjam,
near
Trivandrum
in
southern
Kerala,
India.
The
granite
cave
encloses
a
one-celled
shrine
with
a
loose
sculpture
of
Vinadhara
Dakshinamurti.
The
outer
wall
of
the
cave
depicts
unfinished
reliefs
of
Siva
as
"Tripurantakara"
on
the
left
and
as
"Nataraja"
with
Parvati
on
the
right
(the
unfinished
Pallava
dvarapalakas.
The
temple
is
located
about
17
kilometers
from
Trivandrum
city
centre.
Vizhinjam
served
as
headquarters
of
the
Ay
kings
who
ruled
the
southern
parts
of
Kerala
in
the
8th
century.
Considered
to
be
the
smallest
rock-cut
shrine
in
southern
India,
the
Vizhinjam
Rock-cut
cave
is
dated
to
back
to
8th
century.
The
shrine
has
a
central
cell
with
an
independent
sculpture
of
Dakshinamurthy
and
on
either
side
of
the
cell
are
unfinished
sculptures
of
Siva
and
Parvathi.
It
is
believed
to
be
one
of
the
earliest
rock-cut
cave
temples
in
Kerala.
This
rock
cut
cave
is
now
a
protected
monument
under
the
control
of
the
Archaeological
Survey
of
India
since
1965.
Temple
Timings:
09:00
-
18:00
hrs.
It
remains
closed
on
Mondays.
Getting
there
Nearest
railway
station:
Thiruvananthapuram
Central,
about
12
km
Nearest
airport:
Trivandrum
International
Airport,
about
13
km
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