Temple Premises and Walls
The temple is located near Alathiyur village, facing the East. A number of shops can be found right in front of the temple. The entrance to the temple is very narrow, posing difficulties for large vehicles to enter and exit. A parking facility is allotted on the northeastern side. To the north of the Gopuram is the Temple tank. This wide and beautiful tank is where the priest and the devotees take baths before entering the temple. A small Peepal tree can be seen before the tank. According to Hinduism, Brahma resides at the top of the sacred tree, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva at the bottom. It is believed that circumbulating the tree seven times a day in the morning gives health and wellness. A Cluster fig tree can also be found in the vicinity. It is believed that the place got its name as Alathiyur (a combination of the vernacular names of these trees, namely, 'Aal'(ആൽ) and 'Athi' (അത്തി) respectively, and the term 'Oor' (ഊർ) meaning a village). They are two of the famous four trees (Nalpamaram or നാല്പാമരം) extensively used in Ayurvedic preparations. A two-story ramshackle tower built on the Eastern side looks decayed due to age. Atop the Gopuram is a plaque with the figures of Rama, Hanuman and Lakshmana.
If one enters through the Eastern corridor, the first thing one will encounter is an Elephant enclosure. This relatively large Elephant enclosure was built not long ago. There is no Temple flagstaff, as there is no flag-hoisting festival in the temple. There are plans to install it. A large Altar has been built in front of the Rama deity. The central Altar of the temple is here. Although the Altar is quite high, it is built slightly lower so the deity can be seen from the outside. An image of Hanuman is also hung above it. A small door can be seen on the Southern side of the Altar. This door faces Hanuman's feet. It is built for those who cannot enter the temple. The Offerings/Donation collection office is located on the Southeastern side. The main offerings to the deities are Palpayasam to Rama and Aval to Hanuman. Offerings of Nivedyams to these deities are considered very special. Many devotees offer these Nivedyams to achieve their desired goals. They are provided in quantities such as 1 Nazhi, 50 Nazhi, or 100 Nazhi (Nazhi, which is approximately 312 millilitres, is a measurement unit used in ancient Kerala to measure volume). There were reports that the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalitha, was a devotee of this temple who made offerings seeking positive outcomes in litigations involving her.[5][6] A small shrine of Vishnu can be found right next to the Offerings Counter. It is believed that Vishnu, who used to be the main deity of the Irani temple in the nearby Kalpakancheri village, was brought here and installed here due to some local issues. Though it is an idol of Vishnu, the deity is seen as Sri Krishna facing the West.
While circumambulating Vishnu, one can see a small sand mound in the southwest and a granite pedestal to jump upon. It depicts Hanuman's journey to Lanka. Running towards it and jumping on the stone platform without stepping on is considered good for overcoming obstacles in life. Therefore, many devotees perform this, which attracts the devotees who come to the temple. There are no noteworthy sights on the Western side. The temple of Lakshmana is on the Northern side. Here, Lakshmana is not just a deity but a deity of equal importance. Lakshmana resides outside the Nalambalam on the premise of avoiding hearing the private conversation between Rama and Hanuman. The deity of Lakshmana, the incarnation of Adisesha, is four-armed, facing the East, and housed in a small square covered with copper. A small prayer hall is also found in the front. There is a Ganesha shrine on the Southern side of Lakshmana's shrine. At the back, one can also see the Naga shrines. An offering counter has also been built specifically for Lakshmana. Palpayasam itself is important here, too.