Tirunanvandur - Panbanaiyyappan Mandir

This is yet another invaluable contribution by Pancha Pandavas and although lying in a small village sans convenience of any kind both for boarding or staying, its hold on the theists never waned with the passage of time, nor inadequate facilities diminished the craze for visiting Bhagavan. Would Mahavishnu's glory ever diminish with adverse circumstances? This temple's archamurti in standing posture called Pambanaiyyappan was installed by Sahadeva, the last of the five Yandava brothers. Among other oddities that strike the eye are the absence of Dwajasthambha and Mahadwara piercing into the compound wall. Does the Omnipresent of the universes need any door for admission into his presence? Does he require human sentinel? The Goddess is called Kamalavalli Natchiar. The temple Pushkarini goes by the name of Papanasa thirtha and the Vimana, Vedalaya. This Lord gave darsan to Markandeya Maharshi once. There is no separate sannidhi for Tayar called Kamalavalli Natchiar. Only Nammalvar visited and worshipped the Lord with his apurva pasurams. Agamic poor is offered regularly and the celebration of annual festivals with great zeal is going on since inception.

To begin with the beginning, as it were, this Gopalakrishnaswamy mandir forms an integral part of the Tiruvanvandoor Vishnu temple, and was adored with unprecedented devotional fervor by the people though deemed Upadevatha. The Lord being Karunaikasindhu blessed the adored liberally. But all on a sudden, the icon disappeared leaving the devout bhaktas in quandry. Their misery prolonged and moistened eyes remained undry. But miraculously one pious devotee had a strange dream and was informed the location of the icon in the temple tank. When communicated, forthwith operations, like pumping out of water started for days and days, but to no effect. Thousands of people used several means, but the target was not hit. At last the devout bhakta, who dreamt about its whereabouts jumped into the deep tank and rose up with the image to the stupefaction of thousands of expectant spectators.

Immediately it was taken to Balalayam and installed for regular prayers. Later ardent bhaktas built a nice independent Sri mandir in the vast Vishnu temple and installed it according to agamic canons. When the news of its recovery and installation reached the ears of regular devotees, there started an unending stream of bhaktas round the year and rising hopes that its glory may reach as high as Guruvayur Appa's. If God wishes, that day is not far off. Among the important Vazhivadus, palpayasam, appam, aravana, trikalai venna are important.

It lies 8 km off Chengannur, a famous town of the Kerala state, accessible by four wheelers.

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