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Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram

temple in India

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 1, 2026
Entity authorityQ6798530 ↗
Source-derived summary

Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram is an ancient Hindu Temple at Tharuvana in Wayanad district of the Indian state of Kerala. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva; other deities are Arayil Bhagavathy, Shree Durga, Nandhi, Lord Ayyappa and Lord Ganapathi. This temple is situated on the highest peak in the areas of Karingari, Paliyana, and Tharuvana. Daily poojas (prayers) were performed there from ancient times. Mazhuvannur Thekke Illam family members have been involved in leading pooja for many centuries.

Legends

It is believed that the name Mazhuvannur is derived from the Malayalam words "Mazhu" (Axe), "Vanna" (Come), "Oor" (Place), which means "the place where axe had fallen".

Legend speaks of Lord Shiva appearing to Banasura after his arduous tapas (meditation) and offering him a wish. Banasura used this to ask Lord Shiva to guard his Kingdom. Lord Sbiva and Parvathi guarded his castle (Banasura Kotta). Meanwhile, Banasura's daughter Usha was affectionate towards Anirudhan, son of Lord Krishna.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram” is temple in India. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Mazhuvannur, Maha and Siva, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current 156-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. For this dossier, Mazhuvannur, Maha and Siva is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “temple in India” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6798530. Authority coordinates are 11.731, 75.989. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram primary sources, Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram archive and Mazhuvannur research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.