Sri Uma Maheshwara Swamy Temple
The legend says that Uma (Parvathi) and Maheshwara (Shiva) came down from the peak of Kailasa mountain in Himalaya to the Agastya mountain and finally reached Kollam town. Amazed by the beauty of Kollam articulated by beautiful gardens, palaces and royal highways, Shiva told Parvathi : one who visits Kollam will desert his/her Illam (Illam is a Brahminical idiom for home). The beauty of the place persuaded them to stay for the night and they located a banyan tree to rest under. The sculptor Venkiteshwaran who was living nearby had a dream in that night that he should build a temple for Shiva and Parvathi under the banyan tree. Obeyingly he constructed a temple and installed the idols of Uma and Maheshwara which later glorified into Mahaskhetra (big temple). Here both the deities are on a single Peedam (small platform).
No religious discrimination. Everybody is welcome. When Chinese, Parsis, Portuguese and Brits were here they used to come for the accomplishment of their wishes. The attitude of Shiva and Parvathi is: demand and get. Swayamvara Archana is a simple ritual for availing good marriage alliance whereas Uma Maheshwara Pooja and Ganapathi Homam (Homam is a bonfire ritual) are aimed at nullifying the ill-effects pronounced in the horoscopes.
The temple festival is in the month of Edavam (May/June).
