Thriprayar Temple
Encyclopedia
Triprayar, also spelt Thriprayar, is a temple town approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Thrissur
, Kerala
state, India
.
It is the home of a temple
dedicated to Lord Rama
. According to legend, idols
of Lord Vishnu
resembling Rama, Lakshmana
, Bharata
and Shatrughna
were washed ashore and were consecrated at Triprayar, Tirumoozhikkalam, Koodalmanikyam and Payammel respectively by a local chieftain Vakkel Kaimal who used to be the Naduvazhi
. Descendants of Vakkel Kovilakam moved to the south and settled in Niranam (Thudangiyil) and Thalavady (Cherussery Madhom) as worshippers of Thrikapaleswar (Lord Shiva) for the attainment of the lotus feet of Lord Krshna. Thachudaya kaimal, who was entusted as the caretaker, used to reside at Irinjalakuda
. Worshipping all the four deities in a single day is considered especially auspicious.
The idol is that of a four-armed Vishnu (Chaturbhuja Vishnu) and Rama is depicted as the victor over the demon Kara. The deity is said to contain aspects of Brhama and Shiva too, making it into a Trimurthi. The temple also has a shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in its outer courtyard.
The main festivals of the temple are the Pooram (held in the Malayalam month of Meenam) and Ekadasi (which falls in November–December). One of the popular sacrifices (vazhipadu) at the temple is meen-oottu (fish-feeding) which involves feeding grains of rice to the fish at the river that forms one boundary of the temple.
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
It is the home of a temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
dedicated to Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. According to legend, idols
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
resembling Rama, Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
and Shatrughna
Shatrughna
Shatrughna was the youngest brother of Lord Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana . He is the twin brother of Lakshmana.-Birth and family:...
were washed ashore and were consecrated at Triprayar, Tirumoozhikkalam, Koodalmanikyam and Payammel respectively by a local chieftain Vakkel Kaimal who used to be the Naduvazhi
Naduvazhi
Naduvazhi refers to landlords, chieftains and descendants of royal households in Kerala, India.-Function:Prior to the British reorganisation of the area now known as Kerala, it was divided into around ten feudal states. Each of these was governed by a rajah and was subdivided into organisational...
. Descendants of Vakkel Kovilakam moved to the south and settled in Niranam (Thudangiyil) and Thalavady (Cherussery Madhom) as worshippers of Thrikapaleswar (Lord Shiva) for the attainment of the lotus feet of Lord Krshna. Thachudaya kaimal, who was entusted as the caretaker, used to reside at Irinjalakuda
Irinjalakuda
Irinjalakuda is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. It is famous for the sprawling Koodalmanikyam Temple that has Bharata as the main deity and the St Thomas Cathedral in the heart of the City...
. Worshipping all the four deities in a single day is considered especially auspicious.
The idol is that of a four-armed Vishnu (Chaturbhuja Vishnu) and Rama is depicted as the victor over the demon Kara. The deity is said to contain aspects of Brhama and Shiva too, making it into a Trimurthi. The temple also has a shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in its outer courtyard.
The main festivals of the temple are the Pooram (held in the Malayalam month of Meenam) and Ekadasi (which falls in November–December). One of the popular sacrifices (vazhipadu) at the temple is meen-oottu (fish-feeding) which involves feeding grains of rice to the fish at the river that forms one boundary of the temple.