PLACES OF WORDHIP
The Thiruvaarppu Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is a famous temple situated on the banks of a branch of the Meenachil River in the village of Thiruvaarppu. The village of Thiruvaarppu in Kottayam Taluk is said to have derived its name from the existence of this temple. Likewise, one of the main reasons for the fame of Thiruvaarppu is the centuries-old Sree Krishna Swamy Temple. The region, formerly known as Kunnampallikkara, came to be known as Thiruvaarppu with the origin of this temple. It is one of the important Vaishnava temples in Kerala.
The Thiruvaarppu Temple is believed to be the temple in India where the sanctum sanctorum is opened earliest. The temple doors are opened at 2:00 a.m. This is based on the traditional calculation known as Udayaalparam. The Ushah Payasam offered here is very important. It is a type of ghee payasam prepared with a generous amount of jaggery. As the name suggests, it is offered during the Ushah Puja, at around 3:00 a.m.
The main deity of the temple is Mahavishnu, one of the Trimurthis. However, the deity is worshipped in the form of Sree Krishna. The Lord is worshipped in the form of Krishna, who was exhausted with anger and hunger after killing Kamsa.
The temple celebrates a ten-day annual festival beginning with the hoisting of the temple flag on the day of Vishu in the Malayalam month of Medam and concluding with the ritual bath (aarattu) on the tenth day. The procession on the fifth day and the spectacular elephant race held on the day of Pallivetta are major attractions.
Apart from Guruvayur, Thiruvaarppu is one of the prominent Sree Krishna temples where an elephant race is held. Ashtami Rohini is also celebrated with great importance. Deepavali and Swargavathil Ekadashi are among the other important festival days.
The Thiruvaarppu Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is under the administration of the Travancore Devaswom Board. The temple is believed to be more than 1,500 years old, and its origin is traditionally associated with the Mahabharata.
According to legend, during the Pandavas' exile in the forest, the idol was given by the Lord Himself for them to worship. It is believed that after completing their exile, the Pandavas placed the idol in the Akshaya Patra given by the Lord to Draupadi and released it into the sea.