Kothesivapuram Temple is situated in the village of Poochakkal, Alappuzha District, Kerala. Believed to be nearly 2,000 years old, the temple is said to have been originally established by Buddhist hermits. Nestled in a picturesque setting surrounded by the vast Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in Kerala.  Temple holds both historical and spiritual significance. The area was once known as Kothesham and marked the western boundary of the ancient Pandalam Kingdom. The lake that surrounds the region was previously called Manikandan Kayal. To administer this strategically important location, the Pandalam king appointed a subordinate ruler specifically for Kothesham. Following the catastrophic flooding that submerged the ancient port more city of Muziris, this area rose in prominence and eventually became the capital of the Chera Kingdom, hence the nearby town’s name, Cherthala. Later, the region became an independent state known as Karappuram. However, during a war at Ambalappuzha in the 1500s, Karappuram was defeated, and the lands south of Kochi were unified under the Venad Kingdom. Eventually, this territory came under the rule of King Kotha Varma of Venad. His son, Keralavarman, played a key role in restoring and reviving the Kotheswaram Temple. To resist Portuguese advances, the regions north of Cherthala were gifted to the Kochi Kingdom. This division led to the formation of two Devaswoms (temple trusts), and Kotheswaram Temple came under the administration of the Travancore Devaswom.