Koodalmanikyam Temple is an ancient temple occupying an important place in the hearts of the Hindu devotees from across the country. It is located in Irinjalakuda town, which is 21 km from Thrissur. It is the only temple in India, which is dedicated to Bharata, the brother of Lord Rama. The temple houses the image of only Bharata. Devotees come here from far and wide to take blessing of the deity.
The temple is surrounded by four huge ponds. Out of the four ponds, Kuttan Kulam, located outside the complex on the eastern side, and Kulipini Theertham, located inside the complex are the two largest ones. The sage Kulipini Maharshi had sanctified the pond Kulipini Theertham and performed a yajna here.
Koodalmanikyam Temple is also famous for its colorful festival which is held for eleven days in the month of Medam (April/May).The procession of beautifully decorated elephants is one of the highlights of the festival. The procession is taken out twice (morning and evening) on all the eleven days. The procession is called seeveli. In the procession, two baby elephants stand on each side of the elephant carrying the heavenly deity. The last two days of the festival are marked by Panchavadyam, which is a sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments.