Tiruvarppu - Hrishna Ambalam

The legend of this shrine reads like a fantasy and makes the sceptics at once to dust off their colored glasses for their benefit. The sthalapurana embodies an exhaustive account of the past glory of this shrine. According to it, when Pandavas were spending their one year agnathavasa - period of incognito, Lord Krishna visited them and presented the very same icon now worshipped in the temple for their daily worship to tiding over their misfortune. And he laid stipulation that after passing that one year gruesome period, it had to be thrown into the water, placing on it an akshayapatra; for, it had to undergo a three thousand year Jaladhivasa. They agreed. As soon as that obscure period was over they deposited it in the Dwaitapuzha, now goes by the name of Vemba nadu lake. With that the Dwaparayuga episode came to an end.

It was opened again in Kaliyuga, when Bhadrakali Mattappalii Nambudri was journeying in a country boat in the same lake. And then the rowing pole mysteriously stuck up to the ground. Surprised boatman and Nambudri tried their might to pull, but to no effect. Both - Nambudri and boatmen then jumped to extricate it. To their surprise the water was shallow there and in their joint pulling they found the very same akshayapatra left by Pandavas and the lovely image of Sri Krishna in it. Thanking the Lord for this unexpected fortune, he decided to install it in his place. But lo! a fierce storm developed all on a sudden and drove the boat to the area called Ambattil Kadavu, the holy site of the present temple. It so coincided with the building of a temple by local, which reached final stage. And they were in need of holy image. Seeing it with the Nambudri, they prayed to him to part with it. He refused. It was just at this juncture an arieal voice was heard declaring that the image should be installed at precisely 3 a.m, the next day without any delay or postponement. Wonder struck people intensified their appeal, but to no effect. It happened that the Nambudri woke at 3 a.m. to the blaring sound of conch. When searched for the idol he could not, but when he hurried to the temple along with the locals, who also woke up at the sound of the conch. They were agog to see the installation of idol by some invisible agency as said by Akasavani. The Nambudri realizing his folly, offered Naivedyam and first pooja by himself. The witnessing public fall prostrate at the divine sport, and prayed to the Lord soulfully.

As the installation took place at 3 a.m., even today the Ushapuja is offered at 3 a.m. Further as the image is found in a varpu - akshayapatra the temple and the place are called Thiruvarpu. Apt name! Right decision!! And fitting return!!! Needless to say, visit lifts and life become charitartha. The annual festival falling in the month of Medom - Mar-April is celebrated with unprecedented zeal. And the important offering to the deity is Ushapayasam deemed as much divine as it is sweet.

It lies 8 km off Kottayam, the premier city of Kerala, commanding all kinds of transport facilities.

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