ABOUT MAHESWARAM SRI SIVAPARVATHI TEMPLE Maheswaram Sri Sivaparvathi temple also known as “DAKSHINA KAILASAM” is situated at Maheswaram(Chenkal), 26km away from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Maheswaram Temple is constructed entirely out of Krishna Stone and wood in the traditional architecture of Kerala temple construction. Maheswaram Temple is the Centre of ancient Hindu Culture in Kerala and is the only temple in the world, where devotees can worship 12 Jyothirlingam of Lord Siva and 32 forms of Lord Ganesha at one place. Sri Sivaparvathi is the main idol in the temple. MAHALINGAM, the world’s largest Sivalingam having 111feet height is one of the main attractions of Maheswaram temple. India Book of Records certified Sivalingam at Maheswaram Sri Sivaparvathi Temple as ‘ Tallest Sivalingam’ in the country. Maheswaram Sri Sivaparvathi Temple is the culmination of service to Humanity and to God by Swamy Maheswarananda Saraswathy. ‘Devaprashnam’ conduced in the temple revealed that around 5000 years back there was a temple at the same place similar to the present Maheswaram Temple which was looked after by a miraculous spiritual monk and that Swamy Maheswarananda Saraswathy is the reincarnation of that miraculous Monk. Swamiji organizes a number of charitable activities, Vedic - Moral classes and also runs a school of Art and Music. At North-West corner of Maheswaram Sri Sivaparvathi Temple there is Mahalingam having 111feet height. Mahalingam at Maheswaram Temple is the world’s highest Sivalingam. Mahalingam has plenty of unique peculiarities. One of the peculiarities is its style of construction. Devotees can enter into this Mahalingam. The construction of this Sivalingam is based on 7 chakras in human body which are Muladhara, Swadhishthana, Manipura, Anahatha, Vishuddha , Ajna and Sahasrara. Meditation halls representing Muladhara, Swadhishthana, Manipura, Anahatha, Vishuddha and Ajna are coloured Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Indigo respectively. In addition to the 6 meditation halls there exist another 2 halls, one at the bottom and other at the top of the Mahalingam. Devotees are allowed to meditate at each meditation hall by knowing about and concentrating at symbols of each chakra present there. Through meditation at Mahalingam, devotees can attain self-realization (“Aham Brahmasmi”). In the Prayer hall (at the bottom of Sivalingam), there is a large Sivalingam. This is for the devotees to realize the fact that one should worship his own god by himself. Here Devotees themselves can worship Sivalingam and proceed to the next six meditation halls to meditate by concentrating on symbols of each Adhara and finally reach Kailasam which is at the top level of Mahalingam. There each devotee can reach at the Sannidhi of Sri Sivaparvathi. At this highest level one can realize the ultimate truth “Aham Brahmasmi”. Way to the top level of the Mahalingam is spiral shaped and is surrounded by a cave like atmosphere with plenty of carvings (of Monks) pertaining to meditation. Inside Mahalingam, 108 different Sivalingam and 64 forms of Lord Siva can be seen. The serene atmosphere inside the Sivalingam gives a rich spiritual experience to each devotee who visits Maheswaram Sri Sivaparvathi Temple.