Visit Religious Places
The Navanazreth Holy Family Church — Half kilometer away
This Christian Catholic Church is situated just 500 meters away from Illikkalam Lakeside Cottages. Service Starts at 6.30 am on all days from Monday To Saturday and 7 am on all the Sundays.Phone: 0481 252 4496
Juma Masjid at Thazhathangadi –10 KM distance.
Juma Masjid at Thazhathangadi is ancient mosque on the banks of the Meenachil River in Kottayam and is believed to be 1000 years old. It is one of the oldest in India. The mosque has a square inner courtyard, an exquisitely carved wooden gabled roof, a traditional bathing area and lovely latticed windows making it resemble a temple or a king’s palace. Only men are allowed here.
Mosque timings: 0700 – 1800 hrs
Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid is one of the famous tourist attractions of Kottayam in Kerala. The Juma Masjid of Thazhathangadi is historically very important as it is not only one of the oldest mosques in Kerala, but the whole of India.It is believed by many historians, that Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid was constructed some 10 centuries ago by Habib Dinar who was Malik Dinar’s son and was responsible for the introduction of Islam in the country.The location of Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid is very beautiful as the mosque is situated on the banks of the captivating Meenachil river. The mosque is also located approximately 2 kilometers away from the city of Kottayam.
The fascinating architecture of Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid reflects the conventional style of Kerala. In order to keep the beautiful mosque intact, the Government of Kerala has declared it as one of the protected monuments of the state.The mosque houses 2 graves or ‘Khabars’ of Malik Ibn Dinar as well as of the mason who constructed the shrine. The sacred well of the mosque differs from those of other Islamic places of worship. The well has stone steps resembling the steps noticed in most of the temples of India.
Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple — 12 Kms away, Situated in the heart of Kottayam city is one of the 108 revered Shivalayas in central Kerala. The temple is about 500 years old and was built by the Thekkumkoor raja. It also preserves a number of unique sculptures and murals of various Hindu deities. A common belief is that the idol of Shiva here is installed by sage Parashurama himself. The Thekkukkoor royal family considered the idol as their paradevatha (tutelary deity) in the form of “Thirunakkara thevar”[1]
Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple –110 Km.(3.5 hours)
Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha temples in Kerala. Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, which is unique in many respects. The uniqueness gathers its voice as the temple is open to all irrespective of cast creed or religion, another interesting fact is that it is not open for throughout the year. It is said that the pilgrims have to follow fasting for 41 days to cleanse their mind before going to Sabarimala.The journey to the temple is to be taken through difficult paths in the forest as the vehicles can go up to Pampa.
It is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with an estimated over 100 million devotees visiting every year. Ayyappan’s temple is situated amidst 18 hills. The temple is situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 1260 m (4,133 ft) above mean sea level, and is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. The dense forest, (Periyar Tiger Reserve), around the temple is known as poongavanam.