SREEKRISHNA SWAMY TEMPLE , AMBALAPPUZHA ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT -KERALA -COMPILED
Dear friends, Today my posting is about the famous Ambalappuzha SreeKrishna Swamy Temple at Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district of Kerala. Thetemple is believed to have been built during 15th century CE by the local rulerChembakasserry Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran. It is one of theseven greatest temples in Travancore. It is considered one among the 108Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavite tradition. I have visited the temple manytimes. The first time asearly as 1964, at the age of 20, after attending medical examinationof DMO Alleppy, for my employment in Telcom Department. Hope a divine reading Gopalakrishnan 22-6-2025 Introduction Located around 14 kms south of Alappuzha town, in the quietprecincts of Ambalappuzha is the legendary Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple.The presiding deity of this temple, Lord Krishna is depicted as'Parthasarathy', the charioteer of Arjuna from the epic Mahabharata. The deityis seen bearing a conch on his left hand and a whip in his right. Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishnasituated in Alappuzha district. Built-in the traditional Kerala stylearchitectural pattern, the temple is famous for its delicious rice puddingprepared in sweet milk, popularly known as Pal Payasam. Also called as the ‘Dwarka of the South’, the temple is believed to have been builtbetween 15th - 17th AD by the local king Chembakkassery Pooradam ThirunalDevanarayanan Thampuran. History Considered to be among the seven great Vaishnava temples inthe State, this temple was constructed by the erstwhile ruler of ChembakasserrySree Pooradam Thirunal Devanarayanan Thampuran during 17th AD (790 M.E.). TheKing is said to have offered his State to the Lord and ruled the country as hisregent and assumed the title 'Deva Narayana'. Architecture The typical Kerala architectural style used in theconstruction of the temple is a treat to the eye. The Chuttambalam (buildingconstructed around the sanctum sanctorum), adorned with magnificent paintings depicting theDasavatharam or 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, is one of the most prominentfeatures of Chief Deity The main deity presiding the temple called Parthasarathi(another name for Lord Krishna) is carved out of black granite stone andcarries the sacred conch (shankh) in the left hand and a whip in the right. LordVishnu the presiding deity appears here in the guise of Parthasarathy, thecharioteer of Arjuna from the epic Mahabharata. Sub- Deities The sub-deities of Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Templeinclude Ganapathi, Ayyappan, and Bhagavathi. Additionally, there aretwo sub-temples, one dedicated to Ganapathi and the other to Nagadevata,located near the main temple. The temple also features a shrine for LordShiva and Sree Sastha (Ayyappan)The sub-deities of Ambalapuzha Sree KrishnaTemple include Ganapathi, Ayyappan, and Bhagavathi. Additionally, there are twosub-temples, one dedicated to Ganapathi and the other to Nagadevata, locatednear the main temple. The temple also features a shrine for Lord Shiva and SreeSastha (Ayyappan) Palpayasam. Payasam, a sweet pudding made of rice and milk is served inthe temple and is believed that Guruvayoorappan visits the temple daily toaccept the offering. During the raids of Tipu Sultan in 1789, the idol of SriKrishna from the Guruvayoor Temple was brought to the Ambalappuzha Temple forsafe keeping for three years. The place is earmarked with a photo of the idolnow in Ambalappuzha. Legend-Palpayasam. According to the legend, Krishna once appeared in the form ofa sage in the court of the king who ruled the region (Chembakassery) and challenged him for a game of chess(or chaturanga). The king being a chess enthusiast himself gladlyaccepted the invitation. The prize had to be decided before the game and theking asked the sage to choose his prize in case he won. The sage told the king that he had avery modest claim and being a man of few material needs, all he wished was afew grains of rice. The amount of rice itself would be determinedusing the chess-board in the following manner: one grain of rice on the firstsquare, two grains in the second square, four in the third square, eight in thefourth square, sixteen in fifth square, doubling up to the final, sixty-fourthsquare. The king lost thegame and the sagedemanded the agreed-upon prize. As he started adding grains of rice to thechess board, the kingsoon realised the true scale of the sage's demands. The royal granarysoon ran out of grains of rice. The king realised that he would never be able to fulfil thepromised reward as the number of grains was increasing in a geometricprogression and the total amount of rice required for a 64-square chess boardwas 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains, translating to trillions of tons of rice. Upon seeing the dilemma, the sage appeared to the king in histrue-form and told the king thathe did not have to pay the debt immediately but could pay him over time.The king would servepaal-payasam (pudding made of rice) in the temple freely to the pilgrims everyday until the debt was paid off. However the payasamis not free now. The famous prasad Pal Payassam is a must try at the shrine.However, the devotees have to book it beforehand. The temple authorities can becontacted on +91- 477 -2272090. Poojas The Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple has daily poojas (worshiprituals) and special offerings, including the famous Palpayasam. The templeopens at 3:00 AM, with various poojas throughout the day, including Usha Pooja(morning worship), Pantheeradi Pooja, and Ucha Pooja (midday worship). Thetemple closes at 1:00 PM, reopens at 5:00 PM, and closes again at 8:30 PM. Here's a more detailed look at the poojas: Usha Pooja: This is the first pooja of the day, conducted at3:30 AM, involving the offering of flowers, incense, lamps, and food to thedeity. Pantheeradi Pooja: This ritual takes place later in themorning, involving the offering of rice and other items. Ucha Pooja: The midday worship, conducted at 12:15 PM, is anelaborate ritual with extensive offerings. Deeparadhana: This evening worship is performed at 6:30 PM. Athazha Sheeveli: The final ritual of the day, performed at8:00 PM, followed by the temple closing at 8:30 PM. Special Offerings: Palpayasam: A sweet milk porridge, is a famous offering at the temple andis believed to bring blessings and prosperity. Nivedyam: Various food items, including rice, fruits, andsweets, are offered to the deity throughout the day as Nivedyam. Festivals The Amabalapuzha Temple Festival was established during thefifteenth century CE. At this time, central parts of Alappuzha district wereruled by the Chembakassery Devanarayana Dynasty. The rulers of this dynastywere highly religious and decided that an idol of Krishna was to be brought tothe Amabalapuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple from the Karinkulam temple. Thecelebration in commemoration of the bringing of this idol of Krishna is theorigin of the Amabalapuzha Temple Festival, also referred to as the ChambakulamMoolam water festival. This festival is conducted every year on the Moolam dayof the Mithunam month of the Malayalam era. The Aaraattu festival takes placeon the Thiruvonam day in March–April. The Arattu is the annual 10-day long festival at the temple.It commences with the flag being hoisted on the Atham day in the Malayalammonth of 'Meenam' (March-April). 'Seva', 'Uthsavabali' and 'Pallivetta'are some of thedifferent rituals conducted at the temple during the festival. An interesting belief regarding the 'nataka shala sadya', afeast on the 9th day of the festival, is that Lord Krishna comes and serves the diners ghee in hischildhood form, that of 'kannan'. The 'Arattu' (holy bath) takesplace at the Erattakkulangara Mahadeva Temple. The procession to and from thetemple is a spectacle to behold and is considered auspicious. During 'nataka shala sadya', a feast on the 9th day of thefestival, it is believed that 'Lord Krisha in his child form 'Kannan'' comesand serves ghee to the diners. The procession to Erattakkulangara MahadevaTemple for 'Arattu' (Holy bath) and return are auspicious and spectacular. Another festival that draws devotees and tourists to thetemple from far and wide is the Chambakulam Moolam Festival. It is one of themost important festivals at the temple and is celebrated every year. In fact,it is the Chambakulam Vallamkali (snakeboat race of Chambakulam) that kicksstart the boat race season in Kerala. Believed to be almost four centuries old,the Chambakulam Boat Race is considered to be the oldest in the state. Dress Code Devotees and pilgrims with an interest in entering andviewing the Garbhagriha part of the temple should take note of their dressstyle. The women should wear Saree or Salwar Kameez (Churidar),while the men should wear Dhoti or trousers. The men should make sure that their upper body remainsshirtless as soon as they are about to enter the Garbhagriha (Theirshirts and banyans should be removed). Devotees, visitors,and pilgrims in varied dress styles would still be allowed to view the otherparts of the time aside from the Garbhagriha. It is advisable to dress decently and moderately as thetemple is a sacred and holy place. Photography is prohibited. How to reachAmbalapuzha Temple The Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is easily reachable beingonly 13km from the Alappuzha Town. Devotees, tourists, and pilgrims can eitherget to the temple by road, air, or rail. By road-The road to Ambalapuzha lies near the NationalHighway 47 (NH 47) which is south of Alappuzha. The distance between the townjunction and the temple is only 1.5km. The temple is 108km away from Ernakulamand 102km away from Thiruvananthapuram. Auto Rickshaws are also available totake you down to the doorsteps of the temple. You can also choose totravel by bus.Thanks to the Kerala state road transport, regular bus services have now beenmade readily available to everyone. By Air-The closest airport to the Ambalapuzha Temple is theCochin International airport which offers a 2hours 30minutes flight to thetemple. The Trivandrum Airport serves as the next closest airport which offersa 2hours 37minutes flight to the temple. Direct cabs to the temple are alsoreadily available at the airport. By Rail-The closest railway station to the temple is theAlappuzha railway station. The station is 15km away from the temple and offersa 30minutes ride to the temple. Another close railway station is the Alleppeyrailway station which offers an hour's ride to the temple. Why is AmbalapuzhaTemple famous? Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple - the popular Lord Krishna... The temple is renowned for its Pallipaana performance which is conducted every 12years by Velans (sorcerers). It was also here at the AmbalappuzhaSree Krishna Temple that Ottanthullal,a satirical folk-art form was performed for the first time. Thistraditional art form comments on various socio-political issues. It is widelybelieved that Kunchan Nambiar, the legendary Malayalam poet crafted this uniqueart form on the premises of the Ambalappuzha Temple. Historic Krishna temple known for its Parthasarathi idol,sacred payasam offering, and ties to Guruvayoor Temple. Temple Pond The Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple in Alappuzha, Kerala,features a temple pond that is a significant part of the temple complex and isknown for its serene atmosphere. The pond is a popular spot for visitors torelax, reflect, and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. It's a place where one canspend quiet moments, admire the natural beauty, and perhaps even feed the fish. The temple itselfis renowned for its traditional Kerala architecture, the famous Palpayasam(sweet pudding) offered as prasadam, and the annual Aarattu festival. The Pondis very large. Administration The temple is managedby the Travancore Devaswom Board, Government of Kerala. Timings The Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is open from 3:00 AM to12:00 PM and again from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Address of the temple Sree Krishna swamy temple, Ambalapuzha, Kerala 688561. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/580137778.740390.1750574938373%40mail.yahoo.com.
