Kollam City Guide
This is a unique place of worship, which has neither a structure to house an idol nor an idol to worship. The abstract principle of the Parabrahmam or the Universal consciousness is the presiding deity here.
Location : The Ochira Temple is located 34 Km from Kollam.
Famous for : Ochira is known for the Ochira temple, which has some strange rituals and practices.
About Ochira Temple
The Ochira temple, located in Kollam, is a unique temple of its own kind. A striking feature of the Temple is that there is no deity in the temple complex. More over, the temple also do not have any Pujari to perform rituals. The temple is dedicated to universal conciousness and has no idol of any god. The structure of the temple is also not like any traditional temple. It is a place of equal devotion for all religions. The temple is also known as Dakshina Kashi and a unique offering to the temple is in the form of bulls. Another interesting aspect in connection with the temple is the annual festival called Ochira Kali, where men, both young and old, step into waterlogged paddy fields and indulge in mock fights, involving physical skills of the participants.
The Ochira-Kali Festival
The Ochira-Kali Festival is held in front of the Ochira Temple. The play, called Kali, in which a large number of people participate is held as a part of an annual festival to commemorate a battle fought between the kings of two feudal principalities, Kayamkulam and Ambalapuzha. The festival falls in mid of June and it lasts for two days. The mock show of the fight is done on both days. This dance-drama is a very popular celebration in Kerala.
Getting There
By Air : Thiruvanantapuram International Airport, at 105 Km, is the nearest airport to Kollam.
By Rail : Kollam Railway Station is well connected to the major cities of Kerala and South India. Ochira railway station is also connected to Kollam and other cities of Kerala.
By Road : Ochira can be reached by bus or taxi from the major cities of Kerala. Some major cities disatnces from Kollam are: Trivandrum (71 kms), Varkala (37 km), Alleppey (85 km), Kottayam (110 km), Trichur (229 km), Calicut (374 km), and Kasaragod (575 km).
Accommodations
There is quite a good number of hotels, guest houses and lodges in Kollam, which provide with too many options to the visitor for stay.
