Aadikesavaperumal

The temple architecture is Kerala style architecture with wooden pillars, doors and roofs. The lord is lying on his snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. We could see Lord Shiva near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi. Deepalakshmis are many but none resembles the other. The Otraikkal Mandapam (single stone hall) made of a single stone 3 feet thick, is a marvel. Oorthuva Thandavam, Venugopala, Rathi, Manmatha, Lakshmana and Indrajit are excellently carved. The temple is also renowned for its murals.
This temple is older than the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram and one of the divya devams. The style and the architecture of this temple has been taken as the sample to construct the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple deity lies in the direction as to see the Thiruvattar Adi kesava deity. The main deity was originally covered with gold kavachams in which diamonds and other precious stones were embedded which the kerala kings had presented to the temple.There is also a small shrine for Lord Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy near the river and opposite to the Adikesavaperumal Temple. Nammalvar had sung 11 pasurams in praise of AdiKesavaSwamy.
                         Thiruvattar and the surrounding places in Kanyakumari district were once ruled by Kerala kings. There are also proofs on this in these towns, for example Padmanabhapuram Palace near Marthandam. During their rule, they were worshiping the deity of Thiruvattar Temple. However, they changed the capital to Thiruvananthapuram during one of the Marthanda verma king's period after which Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple attained more glory.