Kunnoorakkal Shri Dharma Shasta Temple is situated at
Karakulam Village in
Thiruvananthapuram District, near Karakulam Vocational Higher Secondary School. It is situated about 11 km away from
Thiruvananthapuram, on Mullasserry Road. Here the presiding deity is Shri Dharmasastha, also known by various names such as Bhuthanatha,
Ayyappa, Harihara and Manikanta.
Literally, the word Kunnoorakkal means ‘covered by small hillocks’. Legend has it that in early times, the region around this temple was the abode of Ettuveettil Pillais who were the enemies of the Travancore Kings’ family. When the king fought against them, the temple was damaged and the King arranged facilities for renovating the same.
The temple has once again been renovated recently and the new temple complex houses the small shrines for Lord Ganapati, Nagas – the serpent gods, and Bhoothathan Swamy. A marriage hall is also attached to the temple complex. An annual festival is celebrated here in the Malayalam month of
Makaram. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and splendor, where in the procession with caparisoned elephants carrying the idol of Shri Dharmasastha is the great attraction.
The nearest railway station and airport are Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station (10 km) and Trivandrum International Airport (15 km).
