- Vishnu
Sree Vallabha Temple
- Tiruvalla,Kerala
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Overview
This temple is one of the 108 holy Vishnu temples and is located 10 kms from Changasherry between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala of India.
About The Temple
The temple covers a land measuring more than 8 acres. The huge compound wall is twelve feet high and five hundred and sixty two feet long. There are four gopurams (in Kerala style) in four directions. The north gopuram will be opened only on Uthram day in Meenam. While entering the main gopuram the people will first see the three storied Garuda Madam. Inside it, there is a 53.5 ft high and 2.5 ft wide granite dwaja (flag staff). The temple pond (Ilavanthi theertham) is located at the north-east. The big Oottupura is situated at the north side. The plinth and the wall are made up of granite while the rest of the structure is made of timber and sheet roof. The temple has a circular (vritta) vimanam. Seen in this temple are carvings of Dakshinamurthy and Shiva - Yogiswara. In front of the sanctum (garba griham) are a namaskaramandapam, a mukhamandapam, a gopuradwaram and an agramandapam. There is an inner shrine to Vishwaksena, in the north east corner of the inner corridor, facing south.
About The Deity
The main deity in this temple is Sri Vallabha (Lord Vishnu) who is 8 foot tall in standing pose facing east. Instead of sandalwood paste, sacred ash is given in contrast to what is usually done in Shiva temples. The Pantheerayiram vazhipadu (offering of 12,001 plantains) to the main deity is very famous.
Legend and Stories
It is a 2000 year old temple. Legend says that Cheran king Cheraman Perumal had a dream in which Lord Vishnu appeared and pointed to a location and asked him to dig it up. The king found a statue and kept the statue in this temple. The corridor (pradakshina veedhi) is 104 ft long in one side. The shrine (nalambalam) is made of granite and there is a vilakkumadam outside the shrine. The temple is circular in shape with copper covered roof in a cone shape. Lord Sree Vallabha (facing east) and Lord Sudarsana or Chakrathazhvar (facing west) are installed in the same sanctum. There are eight other deities in this temple namely Varahamoorthy, Vadakkumthevar, Ganapathy, Garuda, Sastha, Kurayappan Swami, Ayalyakshi, Mayayakshi and Dakshinamoorthy. This temple was once a place for Vedic schools. There were more than 1000 students and 100 teachers here and was known as Thiruvalla Sala.
Festivals
The Uthraseeveli festival is celebrated on the Makayiram asterism in Meenam month (March - April). The north gopuram will be opened only on that day, when Goddess Durga of Alamthuruthy Padappadu Temple and Bhagavthy of Kariyanattukavu Temple will visit Lord Sri Vallabha. These Goddesses are the protectors of the Thiruvalla Gramam.
Poojas and Timings
Pujas are done 5 times a day and the Lord is worshipped in 5 different forms
Early Morning Puja - Brahmachari
Morning Puja - Sanyasi
Noon Puja - As a King
Evening Puja - As Lord Narayana
Night Puja - As Narayana with his consort Lakshmi
Offerings Time Offerings
4.00 am Palli Unarthal 4.30 am Nirmalaya Darshanam 5.00 am Abhishekam 7.00 am Usha Pooja (First Pooja) 9.00 am Pantheeradi Pooja (Second Pooja) 11.00 am Ucha Pooja (Third Pooja) 11.30 am Ucha Shiveli and Temple closes 5.00 pm Temple Opening 6.30 pm-7.00 pm Deeparadhana 7.00 pm Naalaam Pooja (Fourth Pooja) 7.30 pm Ancham Pooja (Fifth pooja) 8.00 pm Athazha Shiveli & Temple Closes
Prasad and Offering
Interestingly, devotees offer to sponsor kathakali performances as their offering to the temple. Those whose prayers are answered offer to have a performance arranged here, as a token of acknowledgement and as a gesture of support of the arts.
Significance
To Get Married,
Accessibility
Airport
The nearest International Airport from Thiruvalla is Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery, roughly 119 Kms from Thiruvalla.
Road
Thiruvalla
Railways
Nearest railway station is Thiruvalla, about 3 kms away.
Temple Address
2000 year old temple of Thiruvalla Vallabhaswami
Thiruvalla,
Changasherry,
Kerala,
Pin code – 686101.
Significance
Devotees visit this temple to seek fulfillment of the following:-
- Fame
- Freedom from diseases
- Wealth
- Courage
- Relief from adverse effects from bad planetary aspects
- Relief from bondage
Shlokas
Vasudeva Sutham Devam Kamsa Chanoora Mardhanam Devaki Paramanandham Krishnam Vande Jagathgurum
Meaning -I bow to you O Krishna, the ultimate guru, Devaki and Vasudeva's son, and the destroyer of Kamsa and Chanur.
Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram Hridayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram Mathuraa Dhipate Rakhilam Madhuram
Meaning -Meaning - Sweet are Your lips, sweet is Your face, sweet are Your eyes, sweet is Your smile, sweet is Your heart, sweet is Your gait, O Lord of Mathura, everything about You is sweet.
Alokya Mathur Mukha Madarena Sthanyam Pibantham Saraseeruhaksham Sachinmayam Devam Anantha Roopam Balam Mukundam Manasa Smarami
Meaning -I think of this Balamukundan as the one who looks lovingly at his mother's face while taking milk from her, who has eyes similar to the red lotus, who is the embodiment of truth and intelligence and other forms.
Achutham Keyshavam Rama Narayanam Krishna Damodaram Vasudevam Harim Shridharam Madhavam Gopika Vallabham Janaki Nayakam Ramachandram Bhajey
Meaning -Oh Lord who cannot be perished, who also has names like Keshava, Rama, Damodara, Narayana, Sridhara, Madhava, Krishna, Ramachandra the beloved of Janaki, let me say your name regularly.