Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna temple

In this temple Krishna is worshiped in the infant avatar. Paintings of the 10 incarnations of lord Vishnu adorn the inner walls of the chuttambalam. The temple complex also houses a small structure called the Guruvayoor temple where the deity of Lord Krishna of Guruvayoor was kept in safe custody during the 1790 invasion of Tipu Sulthan. During the annual festival, which falls in April, thousands of devotees frequent the temple and partake in the feast. And once every 12 years, sorcerers perform the pallipana. The temple isalso renowned for its palpayasam, the daily offering of the milk rice, the legendary gift of a Brahmin to the poor. Very few temples have the good fortune, or the karma of possessing idols that are made by god, Krishna-at Guruvayoor, Tripunithura and Ambalapuzha. Legend has it that once the Brahmin ruler of Chempakasseri, pooradam thirunal thampuran, was traveling by boat with the sage villwamangalam swami, when they heard melodious strains of the flute. The music emanated from the south east corner of the present temple at Ambalapuzha, where a peepal tree stands. The sage, an ardent devotee of Krishna, recognized celestial music. They disembarked, went around the tree and prostrated themselves. And hence the name Ambalapuzha reached by crossing the river.                

There is also a legend why Ambalapuzha’s famous palpayasam is offered at the noon Pooja. Once , the Chempakasseri Thampuran had borrowed some paddy from a Brahmin from ‘Thalavadi’ during a famine , the Raja righteously undertook the feeding of his subject , and was unable to repay the loan which soon mounted , with interest ,to 36000 Paras of paddy . One day, when the Raja came to the temple for darsan, the Brahmin demanded his paddy and threatened that he wouldn’t allow any worship until the debt was cleared .The Thampuran ordered his Minister to clear the debt immediately, but there was in sufficient stock of paddy. Some how the required quantity was collected and before noon, the elephant house before the temple was overflowing with contribution. The paddy was measured at the eastern side of the temples to the Brahmin’s satisfaction. However, the Minister asked the Brahmin to clear the paddy before the mid day Pooja otherwise it would interfere with the rituals. If the Brahmin failed to remove the paddy with in the stipulated time it would be confiscated to the temple. Predictably, the poor Brahmin could not get a single porter to remove the paddy. In the meantime, the sanctum sanctorum was closed for the midday Pooja. When the sreekovil was reopened, the Brahmin acknowledged the Raja’s righteousness and offered the paddy to the Lord Krishna. He also started that palpayasam should prepared daily and offering it to the deity at the midday Pooja, be distributed among devotees. This is the famous Ambalapuzha palpayasam, the color of which is golden and the taste is unique.

Every morning, before dawn, the Namboothiries start their preparation. Milk and water are poured into a heavy cauldron. By sunrise, the mixture comes to a boil, a process continued for six more hours. Then, the washed and winnowed rice is added into the simmering liquid and stirred continuously. At 11.45 am, sugar is poured, mixed and the cauldron lifted off the fire, strung onto bamboo poles and carried to the sanctum. Water for the payasam still comes from the sacred Mani kinar,   an old well south west to the temple, where the rice is also washed. But the milk now comes from the local milk dairy and other societies. The payasam costs Rs 32 per liter. On an average, 150 liters are made every day but there is never any surplus. The temple has also been patronized by great literary gems like Melpathur Narayana Bhattathirippad, Thunchath Ezhuthachan and Kunchan Nambiar.Oottan Thullal, the satirical art form created by poet Kunchan nambiar, was first performed here.