Tripunithura Travel Pleasures
Posted On February 8, 2012
Tripunithura is a lovely region in God’s Own country Kerala which has the best travel delights and the most interesting tour pleasures. A very integral part of travel and tourism in Kerala, this is a place which was the capital of Cochin earlier. The royal family of Cochin in fact still resides here. The Hill Palace was the palace of the Maharaja of Cochin,who was the ruler of the Cochin kingdom in those days.
Tripunithura has its own history about how it was named. People say that the name came from “poorna Veda Puri” meaning the town of the Vedas . Also that there was the name which said that it comes from the world meaning the land on either side of the River Poorna.
Legend has it that Arjuna once visited Lord Vishnu and got an idol which Arjuna carried in his pooni or quiver. He wanted to install it when he met Lord Ganesha. It is said that Lord Ganesha installed it in a place which now- Tripunithura.
It is said that the name Poonithara came because when Arjuna landed then Arjuna said pooni thara meaning open the quiver. Thus the name Tripunithura. But thiru also means port where the backwaters meet the sea. So the name of Tripunithura is all a big question of what one wishes to believe.
Some of the best travel pleasures of Tripunithura include the Ameda temple. This temple located in Nadakkavu is one of the few temples of Nagaraja which is in the state of Kerala. With the presiding deity as Nagaraja , this is a place where there are other gods like Vigneshwara, Shiv and Nagayakshi. The Lake Vembanad lies near the temple rendering it a great scenic locale.
Then there is the Muthukulangara temple which has Muthukulangar Santhana Gopala Sree Krishna as the main presiding deity. It is believed the temple has Lord Vishnu in the form of a baby or santhana gopala. Located in Eroor, this is a temple with a legend . It is said that the temple is favorable for all married women who want to have a child. Legend has it that once a Brahmin’s wife at Puliyannur Illam here in Tripunithura did not have any children,as all were dead during delivery. The Brahmin prayed to Arjuna and asked him to save the 10th child. But even then the child disappeared. Searching the child, Arjuna and the Brahmin reached Vaikundam where Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi were sitting and were surrounded by the ten babies of the Brahmin. Lord Vishnu gave the babies and two idols to Arjuna and the Brahmin. The place where they placed the idol is the Muthukulangara temple. This is a temple with Thantri pooja.
Then you have the Sree Poonathrayesha temple that is situated in Tripunithura in the Ernakulam district. With Lord Vishnu as the presiding deity, the idol of Santhana Gopala has been installed by Arjuna. Here the lord is seated on the Adisesha and it is a strange feature that the idol has. The idol never seems to touch the ground. Gingelly or til oil is offered to the God here.
Tripunithura is famous for three festivals which so form a part of the region. These festivals with the Koottiyezhunnallippu and the Seeveli are the highlights in this festival. Then you have the Ottanthullal, the Kathakali and the Chakyarkoothu which are local art forms of this place.
The Shri Poornathrayeesa temple has the Ombatham Utsavam celebrated in pomp and grandeur here.
Tripunithura with its legends and history is a temple with a lot of grace and elegance and is a must in Kerala travels.
