Aluva Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Aluva

Marthanda Varma Bridge as the name indicates is built by the great Travancore king Marthanda Varma Ilayaraja who is regarded as the founder of modern Travancore. To promote trade and business between nearby Kingdoms, the bridge was constructed during the period of 1940-42. The Marthanda Varma Bridge is known as the lifeline of the inhabitants of Aluva since then.

The bridge is strategically built above the river Periyar offering the tourists a panoramic view of the city. The bridge which has 5.5 carriage way was regarded as one of the most important landmarks of Aluva. Since the bridge can’t meet the modern day heavy traffic needs, a similar bridge was built parallel to the original one. The new bridge was opened to the public in June 2002, and it reflects the industrial growth of Aluva.

Seminary church is popularly called the St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha. The church was offered ‘Pontifical Status’ in 1964 by the Holy See. It is one of most important and largest seminaries in the world. The church is an important theological education institute of Catholic Church.

It started functioning as an inter-ritual Christian educational institution in 1932 and since 1996, the church began working as a leading seminary of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The church is responsible to giving foundation and training to candidates who aspire to become priests from Kerala. The Seminary offers its students the degree courses in Philosophy, Theology as well as Phd courses in theology. Presently it has 7 batches and 263 students on board. A huge library of rare Christian literature and a calm peaceful meditation hall are the major attractions of the Seminary Church.

The river Periyar flows at a stretch of 229 km through the town of Aluva and is one of the largest rivers of Kerala. Periyar that flows through Tamil Nadu and Kerala has majorly influenced the lives, customs and traditions of the inhabitants of these states. With its long stretch of smooth clean bank adorned with palm, coconut trees and a lot of temples, mosques and churches, the river is a major attraction for the tourists.

There are many small scale industries on the bank of this river. Still, it has managed to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city and retains its charm and calmness. The calm and serene ambiance makes the river a favourite spot for any traveller who loves nature for its pure beauty. The tributaries of this river are Muthirapuzha, Mullayar, Cheruthoni, Perinjankutti and Edamala.

The Shiva Temple in Aluva is located on the sand bank that lies between the tributary Mangalappuzha and the Periyar river. The Mahadeva Temple (Shiva Temple) is only about 1 km from the famous Marthanda Varma Bridge.

Peculiarity about this temple is that the Shiva lingam is not installed inside the temple. It is said that a Shivalinga was created by Lord Parsurama on the sand banks of the river. It is believed that the Shiva Lingam installed here in Aluva Manal Puram (land with sand) was worshipped by Lord Rama himself.

There are many other temples on the opposite side of the bank including the Sree Krishna-Balarama temple, Ayyappa Temple and Adwaitha Ashramam. The Aluva Palace, a real architectural marvel, is also located on the other side of the sand bank. The temple here is famous for its Mahasivarathri celebrations and also for its architecture and location.