Pages

▼

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Ambalapuzha - Sree Krishna temple

Ambalapzha  Sree Krishna temple is  in Alleppey district, Kerala. It is about 16  Kms. from Alleppey, the Venice of the East which is interconnected by lot of lagoons, lakes and sea.

This temple is known  as  Dwaraka of the South  which was built by Chemagasseri Devanarayanan Thampuran  between 15-17th AD.This an important Vaishanava temple in Kerala.

The temple here has Krishna's idol in the form of  Parthasarathy which Krishna assumed during the great Mahabharata war. He has a whip in His right hand and a conch in the left .This temple is very much popular like the Guruvayur temple. Here also, the deity is worshipped as child Krishna.The temple also has a shrine  for Guruvayurappan and there is a nagathara outside the main shrine.

Legend is that, saint Vilvamangalam, an ardent  devotee of Krishna while cruising along the backwaters with the Maharajah of Travancore, heard  sweet flute music.  Swamy Vilvamangalam could see a bright glow and  a form of Balamurali Krishna ( young Krishna with flute) on a Peepul tree . Feeling the God's presence, a temple was constructed in that place.

Fascinating facts- Ottam thullal, a performing art form  was started here by the great artist Kunjan Nambiar. One can still  see his mizhavu which is preserved here in an enclosure. The make up and the costume of this art form is unique.

Thunjathu Ezhuthachan, a great poet and scholar  is believed to have penned his famous work Adyathtmika Ramanayam kilipattu here which has no parallel till date.

Ambalapuzha palpayasam is very famous (a porridge made of milk ,hand pounded rice and sugar ) and has exceptional sweetness and one can find devotees queuing up for the same.

How to reach- Alleppey is connected well with rail and road. The nearest airport is at Ernakulam
Accommodation - Good hotels are available in Ernakulam or there are many holiday resorts near Alleppey. The famous boat houses are a huge attraction for the tourists both foreign and local. One would get 5 star to economy boat houses.

 Photos
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMevOiRS5Lfe-NO3I2yYSSXRsN77asKcKkR5gML







at

55 comments:

  1. ArtiJanuary 27, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    Stunning pics, i love the old world feel that i can sense from the pics!
    Have a great day :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ArchanaJanuary 27, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    Chitra,
    thanks for this important post!

    Ottan Thullal is an interesting form of dance-drama, somewhat like Kathakali but a solo form and it uses less elaborate costumes etc. Its characteristic is that the sacred narrative is modified here to satirize the heroic figures in the original narrative.

    Satire here is a form of devotion and also brings the divinised characters closer to the realm of ordinary people. A comparable practice is the chariot festival of Puri, where devotees who pull the chariot of Jagannath curse him. It's believed that the more you curse him, the more Jagannath gets pleased by you. So, curse is a form of showing affection for Jagannath.

    It's great to see the temple where this unique performance art form of Ottan Thullal was born.

    ReplyDelete
  3. InsigniaJanuary 27, 2011 at 10:00 PM

    The Mizhavu is well preserved. Liked the ambiance of the temple

    ReplyDelete
  4. TeamgsquareJanuary 27, 2011 at 11:37 PM

    Beautiful .... great temple

    ReplyDelete
  5. SridharanJanuary 27, 2011 at 11:49 PM

    Typical Kerala Temple. Beautiful Pictures..

    ReplyDelete
  6. anupamaJanuary 28, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    Dear Chitra,
    Good Morning!
    My day has just begun seeking the blessings of Balagoapalan!This is one of the famous temples of Kerala.
    My Amma has written a poem on this temple.The atmosphere and the suroundings are beautiful.
    Cows are always dear to Kannan.The statue of the elephant,the mizhavu,the vast compund make the readers visit the temple.
    Ambalappuzha Paalpayasam is so famous.
    May Kannan Bless You!
    Wishing you a wonderful day ahead,
    Sasneham,
    Anu

    ReplyDelete
  7. aipiJanuary 28, 2011 at 6:17 AM

    I like the temples and the surroundings as well..Thanks for the wonderful tour Chitra!

    US Masala

    ReplyDelete
  8. ECJanuary 28, 2011 at 7:45 AM

    Love the peace in Kerala temples..would definetely like to visit the temple

    ReplyDelete
  9. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    Arti, Thanks. The temple is of typical Kerala style and hardly any modern constructions inside.

    ReplyDelete
  10. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    Insignia, Thanks a lot. I too wanted to linger in that temple for long as the tranquility was captivating.

    ReplyDelete
  11. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    Team G Square
    Thanks a lot .

    ReplyDelete
  12. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:27 AM

    Sridaran
    Yes this is typical Kerala architecture, those galleries, the roof with wooden carvings, the corridors, grills made of wood etc.. It has retained its essence till date.

    ReplyDelete
  13. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    Anu,
    You are a krishna bhaktha and I am sure you would have enjoyed my post.I would like to read the poem written by your mother. See you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    Aipi, thanks dear.

    ReplyDelete
  15. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    EC, you must. The ambiance in Kerala temples are different. You would like it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:56 AM

    Archana,
    You are right, this Ottam thullal is presented like a satire and is a solo performance unlike Kathakali .

    ReplyDelete
  17. AswathiBabuJanuary 28, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Chitra
    Hoping to have a trip to this famous temple
    very nice photos

    ReplyDelete
  18. chitraJanuary 28, 2011 at 10:19 AM

    Aswathi, thanks. Haven't seen your posts for long?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Abhilash PillaiJanuary 28, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    I remember the last time we went to the temple, amma, sister and relatives... had some paal payasam and was enjoying...

    I live near to Chottanikkara(4 km),purnathrayeesha(1/2 Km) but still visit occassionally. "Ayalathe mullakyu dash"...

    The post was good, and worth a read. I need to plan worshiping some temples for, peace :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. ?January 28, 2011 at 6:09 PM

    It was heartening to see that the temple still had the old tile roofs! :-)
    Many temples in Kerala, in the name of renovation lose some of their character...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Felicity Grace TerryJanuary 28, 2011 at 6:22 PM

    I so love it that this temple has such a wonderful story to tell. Those huge conch shells are wonderful though I have to say that the clock on that pillar looks a little out of place to me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. MridulaJanuary 28, 2011 at 8:41 PM

    Any pictures of the canals of Alleppey?

    ReplyDelete
  23. R. RameshJanuary 28, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    hey me too like the ambience of the temple..real proud of u dear friend..for highlighting..

    ReplyDelete
  24. ArchanaJanuary 28, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    I didn't notice the clock, till I read this comment. yes, there are two of them in fact. Perhaps they should be hung on the walls of some buildings rather than where they are.

    ReplyDelete
  25. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:28 AM

    Abhilash, I lived very close to Poornathrayeesha and was a regular visitor to the temple. Even now, every Kochi visit I mark my attendance at P. temple.I wanted to live there for ever. But destiny took me elsewhere. I would say you are a blessed one. ..... muttathe mullakku manamilla....

    ReplyDelete
  26. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    ?
    Very true, I love temples with their old structures. The ambiance there is entirely different. But many temples are in need of maintenance and when they start the work, then modern and sophisticated materials are used.

    ReplyDelete
  27. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:34 AM

    PW, what you say is right. The clock could have been moved to some other wall.

    ReplyDelete
  28. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:35 AM

    Mridula, I have one or two, shall publish in one of my future blogs when my pilgrimage took me along the Alleppey- Kuttanad side.

    ReplyDelete
  29. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:36 AM

    Ramesh, Nanri nanba.

    ReplyDelete
  30. chitraJanuary 29, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    Archana, You also observed it? While taking pictures , I too felt that.PW is very observant.

    ReplyDelete
  31. V GopalanJanuary 29, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    Chitra, I will be visiting Allapy middle of February for a day. Will try to see if i can manage sometime to see the boat houses there, about which I have heard a lot. Very informative post with awesome pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Prabha KamathJanuary 29, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Very nice, Chitra.

    ReplyDelete
  33. chitraJanuary 30, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    Thanks Prabhakka.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Sushma MallyaJanuary 30, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    Beautiful Photography:)...I loved viewing all of the pics captured:)

    ReplyDelete
  35. chitraJanuary 31, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    Sushma, thank you so much..

    ReplyDelete
  36. kiran sawhneyJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    Genuinely- A nice post. :))

    ReplyDelete
  37. chitraJanuary 31, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Thanks Kiran, I am happy..

    ReplyDelete
  38. BikramJanuary 31, 2011 at 5:39 PM

    wowow such great pics

    loved all of them Thanks chitra :)


    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
  39. Sushma MallyaJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    very nice and calm temple...

    ReplyDelete
  40. smFebruary 1, 2011 at 2:35 AM

    beautiful temple

    ReplyDelete
  41. chitraFebruary 1, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    sm, Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  42. R. RameshFebruary 1, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    thanks boss

    ReplyDelete
  43. MartinaFebruary 1, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    Another very pretty temple and scenery! Have a lovely day Chitra!

    ReplyDelete
  44. chitraFebruary 2, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Bikram, today only I saw your comment friend. Thanks.
    Ramesh, thanks
    Martina, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  45. ജയരാജ്‌മുരുക്കുംപുഴFebruary 2, 2011 at 8:56 AM

    Hai CHITRAJI... once again wonderful post..... congrats....

    ReplyDelete
  46. chitraFebruary 3, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    Jayaraj, Thanks

    Rajeev Kumar, Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Neena SharmaFebruary 3, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    So charming!

    ReplyDelete
  48. chitraFebruary 3, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    Neena, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  49. AmritFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    As usual an excellent post. I looked at the picture on Picasa - look much better.

    ReplyDelete
  50. chitraFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    Thanks A. Picasa viewing is much better, at one click you'll see all the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  51. indicaspeciesFebruary 6, 2011 at 12:48 AM

    I also like the architecture of the temple.
    Palpayasam...yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  52. RamanathanApril 4, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    nice to read; could you tell me in which year Ezhutthachan lived here and also in which year ottamthullal was started? is this also a place famous for Idukka, will appreciate answers to sury39@gmail.com if possible

    ReplyDelete
  53. vinodSeptember 19, 2011 at 3:47 PM

    long live Chitra.
    Ambalapuzha is my motherland and we live very close to temple.there are many amazing facts.
    the palpayasam is very much unique that no were they get the colour and taste.
    there will be always a mentally retarded person in premises of the temple.
    it is believed that Sri Krishna has protected Ambalapuzha during the recent sea rise(tsunami)where the other coast were effected.
    it is belived that during Sabrimala Thiruvabbranam yatra,Lord Sri Krishnan finishes his lunch at Ambalapuzha temple and goes on Garuda for protection.Garuda is even seen to Human eyes on the sky during the yatra.

    Vinod

    ReplyDelete
  54. chitraSeptember 28, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Thanks Vinod, for that lovely information...

    ReplyDelete
  55. Sri Krishna Temple FanApril 22, 2014 at 7:44 PM

    Very good writing and Pictures about the temple. I recently visited this temple and was amazed at its beauty.

    ReplyDelete

Friends ,Thanks for Leaving your comment .I have enabled comment moderation.
This website is not for posting free advertisements.