Shiva Temple in Aruvippuram village of the Southern District of Thiruvananthapuram is famous for being the first Lord Shiva shrine to be established by a non-brahmin in Kerala. It was installed by Sri Narayana Guru in 1888. The Shivratri at this temple is one of the important festivals in Thiruvananthapuram. Aruvippuram village is located at the bank of the stream Neyyar offering scenic views to the tourists and locals. Sree Narayana consecrated the Shiva idol at a time when lower castes were not allowed to enter the temple. It was done so that the lower castes could worship and pray to Lord Shiva. The Shiva lingam for this shrine was obtained from the deepest Shankaran pit in Neyyar. This is the first Pratishtha performed by Sree Narayana Guru. This temple establishment was the most revolutionary initiative against the upper caste at that time. It was named Ezhava Siva by the Narayana Guru.
After being questioned by the upper-caste Brahmins over the naming of Siva Temple after lower-caste Ezhava, the Guru replied that Lord Shiva is for everyone. Aruvippuram Shiva Pratishtha was one of the main events that celebrated the upliftment of the downtrodden people.
The administrative committee of the Aruvippuram temple later evolved into Sree Narayana Dharma Parimanana (SNDP) Yog. It was formed by the political father of the Ezhava community, Dr Palpu in 1903. As per reports, Dr Palpu’s brother P Parameswaran has noted that Guru first went to Aruvippuram in 1883. In 1884, he went into deep meditation in a cave by the side of the Aruvippuram stream. A boy who was inspired by the Guru at that time was his first disciple. The boy, Ayyappan Pillai, came to be known as Sivalinga Dasa Swami (1859-1919), a great philosopher, spiritualist and poet.
Breaking a major tradition, the Aruvippuram Shiva Temple serves as a pilgrimage centre in Kerala. People in Aruvippuram regard it as a holy place. Sivaratri celebration at this temple attracts visitors across districts and regions.
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