SREEKRISHNATEMPLE , TIRCHAMBALAM KANNUR DISTRICT-KERALA-COMPILED Dear friends,
The "Tirchambalam temple" in Kerala's Kannurdistrict is a historic Sree Krishna Temple known for its depiction of Lord Krishna in a ferocious (Raudra)posture after killing Kamsa. It features 15th and 16th-centurymurals, is a significant Vaishnavite shrine, and hosts a prominent 14-dayannual festival. It is 2nd Vaishnavite Divya Desam in Kerala. Today my posting is about this temple. Hope a divine reading. Gopalakrishnan 29-08-2025. Key details: Location: Trichambaram, Taliparamba, Kannur district, Kerala,South India. Deity: Lord Krishna. Unique Feature: The deity is shown in a "Raudra"(fierce) posture, representing the aftermath of his victory over Kamsa. Historical Significance: It is an ancient temple, predatingthe 10th century, and one of the most historic in the district. Art and Architecture: The temple is adorned with ancientmurals and carvings from the 15th and 16th centuries. Annual Festival: The 14-day festival takes place in theMalayalam months of Kumbham and Meenam (around March). Introduction Trichambaram Temple is a Krishna temple located inTaliparamba, in Kannur district of Kerala, South India. The main deity of thetemple is Krishna after "Kamsavadham" sitting in His"Raudra" posture (ferocious posture). The Temple is among theAbhimana Kshethrams which is a list of hoary Vaishnavite shrines. The temple is also mentioned in the 11th century CE Sanskritkāvya Mūṣikavaṃśa”. The sanctum has carvings and murals from the 15th and 16th centuries. In the temple complex there is also a shrine dedicated to Durga which is in middle of atank. This shrine is one of the 108 Durgalayas of Ancient Kerala. There are shrines for Shiva, Ganapathi, Sastha, Vishvaksenaand Snake deities near the temple complex. There are three ponds near thistemple. Legend The deity in Trichambaram Krishna Temple is believed as installedby sage Parasurama, who had laid down the rituals, routine, worship and detailsof the annual festival. The temple is believed to have got the name from ThiruShambara or the holy Shambara in reverence to Maharishi Shambara who issupposed to have meditated here. Sri Krishna after Kamsavadha seems to be very hungry and sothe Nivedhyam is done soonafter opening the door of the shrine before abhishekam. Being in theRaudra bhava deity is not worshiped in the dawn. It is believed that VillwamangalamSwamiyar adorned the deity with a particular wedlock which with its magicalinfluence, changed the minds of thousands of people considering that ‘Gopalakrishna’ is their onlyprotector. History There is no documentary proof available which can depict theoriginal date of its construction but it is believed that this temple waspresent in the 11th century The temple is situated on the banks of the KuppamRiver and additions made on later periods. Architecture The temple is of great archaeological importance. The sanctumsanctorum is double storied and has a pyramid shaped copper roof with a goldenstupa (pinnacle) at the top. The sanctum has beautiful carvings and muralswhich date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The beautiful statues, muralpaintings and the wood carvings illustrating scenes from Mahabharata, adorningthe temple walls testifies the craftsmanship of the bygone days. Chief deity The main deity of the temple is Shri Krishna after“Kamsavadham”, sitting in Raudra posture. The idol is having wheel with a stickin the right hand. In the left hand is a conch touching the waist . The deity faceseast . Lord Krishna in his child-form,soon after slaying Kamsa. The idol of Lord Krishna, is made of Panchaloha (acombination of five metals). The main deity of Lord Krishna is considered to be in aposture after Kamsavadam or in the state after killing his uncle which is inRoudra Bhavam. As per the myth, Lord Krishna killed his uncle at the age ofaround 12 years & right after the duel with him the youngboy just like any human was hungry & asked his mother Devaki for food whichshe provided with all happiness. This moment is commemorated even today by the priests at thetemple whereby the Lord is first fed with Nivedyam & then the daily poojasare conducted as the Lord is in his most fierce form in the morning. Sub deities In the temple complex, there is also a shrine dedicated togoddess Durga which is in middle of a tank. The presence of Jala Durga is also based on another myth whichtravels back to the origin of Krishna’s birth. As per Hindu belief Lord Krishnawas destined to kill his uncle - Kamsa. The king, afraid of this prophecy,imprisons his sister Devaki and husband Vasudev & kills all their newborns.Vasudev’s cousin brother Nanda lived in Gokul with his wife Yashodha & theyhad a girl child the same time when Devaki gave birth to Lord Krishna. Theworld stopped & Vasudev is said to have crossed the Yamuna & placedLord Krishna in the cradle of Yashoda while bringing the girl child back toDevaki. Kamsa who heard about the birth of the eighth child stormed to theprison & threw the child on to the wall. The child, unlike other sevennewborns earlier rather than dying, disappeared & warned Kamsa that she wasnot the child destined to kill him. She also warned him that his death waswritten & would happen at the appropriate time at the hands of his nephew. The child who was considered to bethe eighth child of Devaki according to Hindu mythology is Yogamaya & onecan find her temple at all the Krishna temples. The temple of Jaladurgawhich one finds at the Trichambaram temple is another example of the presenceof Yogamaya who along with Lord Krishna is present in the form of youngchildren giving all devotees a chance to feel the divinity of both. The Goddess inside thetemple is also in the form of a beautiful child which does give substance tothe myth. Another sub deity is Vishak Sena facing South. The templealso has other deities Lord Shiva, andGoddess Bhagavathy. Lord Sastha, Lord Vishvaksena, and Snake deities, eachhaving their respective shrines nearby. Poojas 3 daily poojas in this temple . Kambrathillam possess thetantric rights. The temple conducts various daily rituals, including themorning and evening poojas, which are performed by the temple priests. Devoteescan offer prayers and seek blessings from Lord Krishna during these timings. Specialty This temple is considered equal in status to the world-famousGuruvayoor Temple, and is also called ‘North Guruvayoor’. Probably this is onlytemple in which sanctum is opened with previous day’s rice as Nivedaym immediately on opening. Nirmalya Darsanam is not auspicious in this temple. The conspicuous absence of elephants in the festival makes it different fromother temples of Kerala. The elephants are strictly not allowed in the temple. Offerings Ayiram appam of Trichambaram Temple, a special kind of sweetoffering made in thousands, is quite famous. Even though there are many offerings to lord Krishna, themost important offerings is “Karayila Appam” (unni appam). This is prepared in Agrasala anddedicated to God on the Mandapam by the women from Namboothiri families. The devotees offer coconuts, vibrant flowers, and fragrantincense also. Festivals The annual temple festival (Utsavam) is a fortnight-long eventbeginning on Kumbham 22 of Malayalam calendar (which generally falls on 6March) every year with the Kodiyettam (hoisting of a religious flag) and endson Meenam 6 (which generally falls on 20 March) with Koodipiriyal (ending ofthis festival). In between these dates, for 11 days, Thitambu Nriththam (a form of dance with theidols of Krishna and Balarama) is held at Pookoth Nada (1 km from Trichambaramtemple). Probably the only annual festival withoutfireworks and elephant is celebrated in the late hours ofmidnight in the Pookkoth Nada. The annual festival held here is attended by thousands ofpilgrims from all over the state. At this time the idol of Krishna's brotherLord Balram is brought from Dharmikulangara Temple at Mazhoor and they are saidto play together at Trichambaram, before being separated again at the end ofthe festival. The Kootipiriyal ceremony, held on the last day of the festival,represents the parting of the brothers Krishna and Balram. On these colourful days thousands of devotees dance, run andenjoy with their lords Balaramaand Krishna with the torchbearers and drummers which recalls the playfulyounger days of their favourite lords. The sights on 6th March and 20th March which represents thejoyful union of the loving brothers and their sorrowful separation reallypierce down deep into the heart. On festival days a Swamiji is invited to play with thelords who are very rare in other festivals. In the end of festival by showing milk: Krishna will beattracted back.to the temple. This is a rare proceeding which do not have anyother temples. It isbelieved Devaki and Vasudev (parents of Krishna and Balarama) come to attendthis festival. The ‘Kalasam’ comes in the month of November orDecember. Another important festivalin the temple is Srikrishna Jayanthi. Sreekrishna Jayanthi-Sreekrishna Jayanthi, also known asKrishna Janmashtami, is observed with great fervour at Trichambaram SreekrishnaSwami Temple. Devotees commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna by conductingspecial poojas, reciting hymns, and offering elaborate prayers. The templepremises are adorned with decorations, and cultural programs depicting scenesfrom Lord Krishna's life are organized. The atmosphere is filled with devotionand celebration as devotees come together to seek the blessings of Lord Krishnaon this auspicious day. The temple celebrates several other festivals throughout the year, including Vishu, Onam, and Navaratri. Temple DarshanTimings: 05.00 AM - 12.00 Pm & 05.00 Pm - 08.00 PM Location This temple is situated 2 kms away towards south-east ofTaliparamba town. It is 20 km from Kannur on National Highway 17. Address of the temple Trichambaram Sree Krishna Temple, Taliparamba, Kannur –670141 Phone: 0460 2201022 Administration The temple is managed by TTK Devaswom (Taliparamba,Thrichambaram, Kanjirangad Devaswom) which is a major Devaswom boardadministering around 15 temples in Kannur District of Kerala. How to reach thetemple By Road: The temple is well-connected by road and can bereached by bus or taxi from Kannur town or other nearby cities. Severalstate-run and private buses operate to Taliparamba from various cities inKerala. By Train: The nearest railway station to Trichambaram SreeKrishna Temple is the Kannur Railway Station, which is located about 20kilometers away. From the railway station, you can take a taxi or bus to reachthe temple. By Air: The nearest airport to the temple is the KannurInternational Airport, which is located about 27 kilometers away. From theairport, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach the temple. Once you reach Taliparamba town, you can easily locate thetemple as it is a prominent landmark in the area. The temple is situated on thebanks of the Kuppam River and is easily accessible by road. Temple Ponds The whole complex has three ponds, one for the ancestral pujas,the other for bathing of the priests & the largest is the temple pond. The smaller pond used for ancesterial pujas is a clear waterpond devoid of any fish which is a unique sight. Tidambu Nirtham The temple is also the venue to a unique dance form called TidambuNirtham which is performed by the priests during the annual festival. Thiscelebration is also based on a uniquestory associated with the temple and Maharshi Shambhara & Lord Parasurama.After consecrating the temple of Jaladurga following a penance by Shambhara,Parasurama was surprised to see Maharshi still present at the temple & asked him thereason. Maharshi Shambhara said he is awaiting to see a sight of great beautyas promised by Lord Krishna. Upon asking what the sight was, Shambhara told himthat Devaki upon learning about the leela’s performed by Lord Krishna in Gokul& Vrindavan asked Him to grant her the chance to see it firsthand. LordKrishna promised his mother that he will perform the leela in a way of dance atthe place called Shambharavanam. This was the reason why Shambhara continuedhis stay here & learning about such a moment, Lord Parasurama who himselfis considered to be an avatar of Lord Vishnu waited along with Shambhara. As per legend, this unique dance was performed by LordKrishna & Balarama at the place along with all the other characters likethe gopikas, Yashodha, people of Gokul, his friends, devaganam, apsaras. This Nirtham was so beautiful & long that Krishna &Balarama were tired so Vasudev picked up Lord Krishna & Nanda pickedBalarama over their shoulders & continued to perform. At the end of it both Maharsi & Parasurama fell to thefeet of Lord Krishna. This event in mythology is performed by the priests todaywho carry the idols of Krishna & Balarama over their heads called ThidambuNritham. It's certainly a beautiful sight & everyone considers themselvesto be in the same state as Maharshi Shambhara & Parasurama. Temple tree specialty The temple compound also has an unique tree of Ilanji (Spanishcherry) which is fruitless & is revered equally to the deity. The story of it beingfruitless is based on a belief that an ascetic once sat under the tree whosuffered from terrible rashes & every time a fruit fell on hisskin he would cry out the Lord’s name. Lord Krishna issaid to have come out of the temple to soothe his skin & thus the tree wasasked not to bear any fruit for ever. Though the tree is fruitless it stays evergreen and as perbelief devotees sit under its shade expecting Lord Krishna to soothe them ofdifficulties. Absence of elephants Another unique sight is the complete absence of elephants around the temple &this is based on another story from Krishna’s life. When Lord Krishna &Balarama arrived at Mathura Palace, Kamsa sent the royal elephant Kuvalayapida to attack & kill thebrothers. The brothers killed the elephant & from the day Krishna developed hatred for elephants. Thus based on this beliefno elephants are part of the temple festivals or rituals. As a matter of precaution mahouts do not allow theirelephants to even pass close to the temple fearing the wrath of the deity. Dress Code: HonouringTradition Respect for tradition is paramount when visiting a sacredspace. At Trichambaram Temple, men traditionally wear dhotis, and womengracefully drape themselves in sarees. This customary attire not only showsreverence but also enhances the spiritual ambience of the temple. Modestclothing like salwar kameez for women is generally acceptable. -- 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/647003711.66630.1756443843017%40mail.yahoo.com.
