Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

2271 sites15 countries4 traditions30 centuries
High medieval · Hindu · India

Ponmeri Shiva Temple

Vatakara, Kozhikode district, Kerala · 11.6305°, 75.6269°

ShivaKadathanad
Sacred since
1000 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
11th c. (Kadathanad rulers)
Kadathanad

History & significance

A large Mahadeva temple near Vatakara in Kozhikode district commissioned by the Kadathanad kings in the 11th century, unusual for carrying a sub-shrine to Brahma, a deity seldom given one.

Sthala katha — the legend

A quarrel between the ruler and his architect is said to have left the building forever unfinished, and gave Malayalam the proverb 'as incomplete as the work at Ponmeri'.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kadathanad