Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple, Alappuzha, Kerala – Devi Royal Residency

Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple is a popular Hindu temple that is situated in Alappuzha district and dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple is built in traditional Kerala style architectural pattern, and is also famous for its very delicious rice pudding that is prepared using sweet milk, popularly called Pal Payasam.

Also referred to as the ‘Dwarka of the South’, the temple is believed to have been built by the beloved local king Chembakkassery Pooradam Thirunal Devanarayanan Thampuran between 15th – 17th AD. The main deity of the temple called Parthasarathi (another name given to Lord Krishna) carries a whip in the right, and the sacred conch (shankh) in the left hand, and is carved out of black granite stone.

About Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple 

This spectacular pilgrimage centre is crowded with tourists and devotees alike, all throughout the year. The shrine is among the oldest in the region, and the history is linked to the Guruvayur Temple that is located in the Thrissur district of Kerala. It is believed that during the raids of Tipu Sultan in 1789, the main idol was brought here for safekeeping from the Guruvayur temple, and it has stayed here ever since. The temple also has an awe-inspiring collection of paintings showing the ten avatars (Dasavatar) of Lord Vishnu, adding to the overall rich cultural ambience of the place. A musical instrument known as ‘Mizhavu’ is kept as a display at the entrance of the temple. Besides this, it also houses a tiny pond where you can feed fish and also spend some time admiring the rich heritage of the pilgrim centre.

Legend of Ambalapuzha Paal Payassam

Behind the distribution of paal payasam prasad, also known as, rice pudding, the temple holds an extremely captivating myth. It is believed that once Lord Krishna had made an appearance in the court of the then ruling King by taking the form of a sage, and went on to challenge him to a game of chess. The king, being a chess enthusiast, happily accepted the challenge and both of them proceeded to decide the prize in case of their winning.

The sage just asked for a few grains of rice if he won; the catch here being that the actual number of grains would be decided by the number of squares on the chessboard. They came to a conclusion that each proceeding square would hold the exponential number of grains of the preceding square, beginning with 1 grain and going on to 2, 4, 16, etc.

The game began and obviously, the sage won. When the king started giving out the prize, on calculation, it was found that as per the rules the number of grains hugely exceeded the grains in possession of the royal granary. The final translated number of the grains equaled a few trillion tons of rice. The king could not keep up with his words therefore was indebted to the sage.

Then the sage went ahead and revealed his true identity by taking the form of Lord Krishna, and told the king that he could repay him over time by serving paal payasam, i.e., rice pudding in the temple till the debt had been paid off. This is why the temple started serving paal payasam to its devotees over time.

Festivals at Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple

The temple celebrates Ambalapuzha Temple Festival with a high level of fervour and zeal. The festival marks the day when the idol of Sree Krishna had been brought for coronation here from the other temple. Also known as Chambakulam Moolam Water Festival and is celebrated every year in the month of Mithunam in the Malayalam calendar.

Another festival that is celebrated here is known as Aaraattu festival in  the Meenam month of the Malayalam calendar. It is more like a flag hoisting ceremony on the Atham star.

Pallipana is another popular activity performed at the temple. It is used to mark the activity of sacrificing humans in ancient times. The pooja is performed by sorcerers (velans) and celebrations happen once every 12 years. Nonetheless, nowadays, cocks have replaced human bodies at the altar.

Best Time To Visit Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple

The best time to plan a visit to the temple is in the evening during the time of evening aarti. The entire premises would be lit with tiny clay lamps, accentuating the beauty of the place. And the melodious, authentic in-house south Indian music definitely adds to the charm of the temple.

If you’re planning a trip to Alleppey (Alappuzha), Kanichukulangara or even Kerala as a whole, you must try visiting the Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple, not very far from the town of Alappuzha. Also, if you’d like to stay just beside the very famous Kanichukulangara Devi Temple, while participating in some rituals at the temple, or if you have a preference to staying in close proximity of Ambalapuzha, then you can always choose Devi Royal Residency for your stay.

Check out Devi Royal Residency’s comfortable, premium, and luxurious accommodations which are made keeping an entire family’s comfort in mind, and the place is truly devoted to serving tourists and also devotees travelling to the temple. Rooms with furnishing, ample space, and also a mini kitchen to cook your own food while you are on an extended stay, awaits you on your next visit to Kerala – “Gods Own Country”.

We look forward to your visit, feel free to reach us at (0478 2862177 ) if you have any queries or requests that we can help you with.