Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple
Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple 12 kms south of Alleppey ( East
of NH ), most spectacular 9 day ulsavam, Main offering Pal Payasam
and it is world renowned. The great literary luminaries of Kerala
like Melphathur Narayana Bhattathirippad, Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, Kunchan
Nambiar ( Thullal Kadha Fame) worshipped the deity here staying here.
Ambalapuzha is a taluk in Alappuzha district, some 10 kilometers
away from the district headquarters. This was the capital of Chambakasseri
kings. In AD 1754, Divan Ramayya attached this Taluk to Travancore.
Ambal-apuzha temple, its office, staff quarters, guest rooms, elephant
yard, bathing pond etc. are spanned over to 40 acres of land. There
are demi-gods outside the sanctum sanatorum. The annual festivities
in Ambalapuzha temple present an array of different artefacts like
Kathakali, Kooth, Koodiyattam, Ottam thullal, classical concerts,
etc.
This temple is popular because of the 'palpaysam' , a pudding offered
to the Lord. The myth behind this palpaysam is like this: Once the
king of Chembakasery took a loan of 150 tons of paddy from an alien
Brahmin to meet the expense of his army. The king could not repay
this debt for some time. The principal, interest and cumulative interest
added up to a very huge sum. It was simultaneously that the King's
treasury became bankrupt and the Brahmin insisted for the repayment.
One morning as the King was proceeding to worship the old the Brahmin
encountered: "Oh King, keeping God as witness, you shall not
enter the inner of the temple without first making my payment".
The king was puzzled. The minister in no seconds arranged from all
sources the entire paddy needed for the repayment and heaped it before
the Brahmin and ordered him to remove it instantly. The Brahmin was
very happy and was in amazement. He could find no device to remove
such huge mountain of paddy. He apologized and entreated to grant
time. This was refused. The Brahmin kept a handful of paddy and the
receipt on the threshold of the sanatorum and with the huge resource
requested to prepare palpayasam daily as an offering to the God was
made.
The great poet Kunchan nambiar spent a major part of his life, including
the last, worshipping Lord Krishna here. There is a memorial dedicated
to the late poet who invented 'Thullal', a major ; artefact of Kerala's
own heritage. Kunchan's poems stand apart in the literature for their
style, lyricism, humour, satire, reformative ideas, I I profound philosophy
- all through puranic stories and characters. There I was not a single
section of bureaucracy that was not subjected to this ~ scathing attack.
The instance that prompted Nambiar to compose Thullal over 100 stories
altogether - is very interesting. It was the duty of the I Nambiar
Community to give instrumental support like Mizhavu, a huge I Tabla
like instrument, during the discourse of Koothu by Chakyar. I Amidst
one such performance Nambiar had a mild nap, which ChakYar I noticed
and criticized in situ. The insulted Nambiar composed a new I form
of art 'Thullal', unique in-cosmetics and appearance blending I stories
and episodes from purans in mellifluent lyrics and dance over i a
single night. The next day as Chakyar started his koothu, there I
appeared opposite to his stage, a new stage, where the new art Thullal
I was launched. All the assemblage, en masse, fld to enjoy the new
art ; deserting Chakyar. The Mizhavu which our beloved poet played
is I exhibited on a podium in the western side of the temple.
|
