Temples of Kerala form an amazing component to render the state a unique look with the celebrations of various festivals, rituals, customs, traditions, etc. Some of the Keralite temples are linked to the famous epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. For an average Hindu Keralite, their day begins with the offerings and prayer in their temples along with a bath in their house or in the nearby pond. Temples can be called by other names like Mandira, Mandir, Kovil, Ambalam, Koil, Devalayam, Kshethram depending on the local languages and sub-continent. It is considered that each temple in the state is erected in a form to represent the human body. The temples thus refer to all facets of a human body. There is a belief that a temple should offer quiet, calm and neat environment so that the devotees can enjoy a peace of mind. There are also rules and regulations which are formed by the trustee or board or by default that should be conditioned by the devotees visiting the temple. A majority of the temples permit only Hindus to visit the temple premises. There are also exceptions, wherein one can find no caste bar in temples.

Kerala`s history dates back to the dynasty of the Cheras during the 3rd century B.C. The Kerala temples are mentioned in the works of the Nayanmar Saints and the Tamil Alwar Saints. Cheraman Perumaal and Kulasekhara Alwar were from the Chera dynasty in India. A number of works on temple architecture are written in the state of Kerala in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. In the sixteenth century, the Bhakti literature played a major role in the Kerala temple culture. The Travancore Maharajas were keen patrons of the Kerala temples. In the life of a Keralite, temples hold a significant position. Numerous Kerala temples had their origin in antiquity. However, frequent renovations were carried on and the present structures are due to numerous renovations.

Each of the state`s temples possesses a single presiding deity (there are also more than one deity in some temples), the god or goddess who is regarded as the prominent deity. There are also sub deities or upadevathas which are fixed outside the sanctum sanctorum or Sreekovil. Poojas are carried on as per tantric rules and it is based on the type of temple and its customs and rituals. The eventual authority for performing a tantric pooja in a temple is known as Thanthri. The timings of offerings and Poojas are different in different temples with regard to the ritual, tradition and specialties. Thanthri is regarded as `Father of the Deity`. Especial family possesses this right, which means, this family members are only entitled to do special Poojas like festival Poojas, re-installation of deity, etc. There is a belief that, the one which possesses the authority to install the deity is also bears the right to perform tantric rituals and this known as thanthri.

The ancient Kerala temples offer a drift to spiritual path. The temples of the state provide a magical effect which can change an atheist into a believer. Dissimilar to the temples in other parts of the country, Kerala temples are in sync with the geography condition of the region and resonate with the region`s tradition. The temples of this state are devoted to a number of gods and goddesses belonging to the Hindu mythology. The temples are among the architectural delights which are carved in the style of tradition. Few of the major Kerala temples are Vadukkumnathan Temple, Ananthapura Lake Temple, Chottanikkara Temple, Vaikom Temple, Mannarshala Temple and the Ambalapuzha Temple. These are some of the temples which demonstrate the religious fervor of the people of the state.

Kerala temple architecture is quite different from the temples of other regions in India. Mainly dictated by region`s geography which abounds in forests having the bounties of the monsoons, the Kerala temple structure is distinctive. The roofs are pointed and steep, and enveloped with copper sheets. The roofs resemble those in the regions of the Himalayas and in East Asia. The roof`s shape is as per the design of the sanctum below. With a plan of circular nature, one can get to see a conical roof, while in a square plan the pyramidal shape of the roof is visible. The temple roof in Kerala is made of wood and the same is completely covered by copper plates. A majority of the Kerala temples have undergone numerous stages of renovation, due to the spoilable nature of materials used of construction.

The spiritual centers - the great temples of Suchindram and Trivandrum - were and still are architectural monuments in the southern Tamil style, with massively ornate gopurams or gate towers and complexes of stone buildings, quite unlike the more modest wooden buildings of the authentic Keralan temples. Politically the most important aspect of this situation was the great influence of the Tamil Brahmins, who in Travancore outnumbered the Keralan Nambudiris and controlled the major temples. The Sri Padmanabhan temple in Trivandrum held jenmom rights over vast areas of land, which gave the priests great economic power, and during the seventeenth century the Yoggakar, the council of eight Brahmins who had originally governed the temple lands under the king`s supervision, sought greater political power for itself and for the Pillamar, the eight noble clans who collected its revenues.

There are two types of temple in Kerala, the rare stone temples in the Dravidian style, mainly in southern Travancore, and the wooden temples in the ancient and indigenous Keralan style. These forms of architecture differ in much more than choice of building materials. The Dravidian temples of Suchindram and Trivandrum are notable landmarks. Their structures are characterized by the enormous pylon-like gate towers called gopurams, heavily decorated with stone and gilded finials, which tower over all the other buildings in the temple complex and can be seen, like the spire of a cathedral, from a great distance. Within the high stone walls of these Dravidian temples there are veritable towns of halls and shrines, united by elaborate processional corridors. Even outside the main enclosures there are highly decorated dancing halls and other buildings, like the beautiful pavilion which stands for all passers to see in the middle of the great tank beside the temple at Suchindram.

The daily Poojas in the temples of Kerala are carried on by Namboodiri Brahmins, known as Santhi or Poojari, appointed by Trustee or Board. There are temples which are registered in Devaswam board or Trustee and the registered temples in Kerala possess certain rules and regulations of the concerned board. There are also temples in this state which are won by village or a particular family. In Kerala, there can be witnessed several rituals and customs relating to the temples. There are some temples in Kerala which organize annual events or festivals, thus giving more importance to the temple. There are also some Kerala temples which open a certain period of time.

The earlier Kerala temples were largely for Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva or their different manifestations like Parasurama, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna or Vamana. Shiva is prayed in the form of aniconic and iconic lingam. Swayampradhana shrines to Kartikeya and Lord Ganesha belongs to the later origin, and is visible in temples located in close proximity to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The temple inscriptions belong to the ancient Vattezhuttu script of Tamil Nadu. Inscriptions in Malayalam language in the temples are found from the sixteenth century.