This ancient temple is situated at Amarambalam
in Nilambur of Malappuram district. The name signifies that it is the Temple of
Amaras, Rishis who do not die. There is also the opinion that the name refers
to the temple that will never be destroyed. However, the unique feature of the
name is that the name of the temple has also been given to the panchayath. The
temple is believed to have been built by the entourage of Lord Siva in one night.
The structure is reminiscent of the architecture of the time of the Kulasekhara
dynasty. So, it must have been built in the
more
15th or 16th century. The
sculptures and carvings on the wall of the sanctum are remarkable. One
special feature of this temple is that the square sanctum faces the west while
there is a river, Kuthirapuzha, flowing on the eastern side. Devotees consider
the river to be sacred like the Ganga. The water from the river is used for
anointing the Lord. The temple formerly belonged to the Kitangazhi mana. After
the raid by the army of Tippu Sultan some Nair families took over the temple.
Three hundred years ago the forefathers of the Amarambalam royal family took it
from them. Later a committee of the local people took over the management with
the support of the Palace. Apart from Lord Parameswara, the effulgence of
Shankaranarayanamoorthy and that of Narasimha Moorthy are also there.
Ganapathy, Brahmarakshas, Bhagavathy and Ayyappa are the subordinate deities.
Many people offer ablutions to the ancestors here. Devotees see the power of
the Lord in the rock on the river and offer ablutions to the ancestors in the
river. People believe that there were many temples here at one time. Today
Subrahmanya temple and Vilwath Siva temple still exist.