हिंदीOn this day
Standing

Mayapiran Temple, Thiruppuliyur

Bhima’s temple among the five of the Pandavas, large as befits the strongest brother. The Saptarishis are said to have won moksha here after refusing a king’s gold.

Built: Ancient Kerala templeWhere: Kerala (Alappuzha district, near Chengannur)Deity: Mayapiran (Thrippuliyurappan); Thayar Porkodi Nachiyar9.30° N, 76.59° E
  1. Alvar period
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0

01The sages and the gold

The temple’s katha tells of King Vrishadarbhi, son of Shibi, whose land was failing. He offered gifts to the seven rishis, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, Gautama, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra and Jamadagni, to win their blessing. They would not take them, for a king’s gift carries his deeds. He hid gold inside fruit; they saw through it. Indra then tested them, and Mayapiran gave them darshan with Porkodi Nachiyar and freed them. Bhima’s own penance belongs to the same place, and the temple shows a great mace said to be his.

02Twelve pasurams

Nammalvar gave Thiruppuliyur a decad of the Thiruvaimozhi, eleven pasurams, and Thirumangai Alvar named it in the Siriya Thirumadal; twelve are counted. The temple keeps Kerala form: walled compound, flagstaff, namaskara mandapa and a round sanctum. Its festivals include the aarattu in Margazhi and kavadi in Thai. Like the other four Pandava temples it is under the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The life of this place

  1. Alvar periodNammalvar and Thirumangai Alvar sing Thiruppuliyur.
Visiting

About 4 km from Chengannur station; combine with the other Pandava temples nearby.

Nearby

Thrichittatt Mahavishnu Temple, Chengannur (Thiruchengundrur)Standing
The Age of Great Kingdoms

Thrichittatt Mahavishnu Temple, Chengannur (Thiruchengundrur)

Yudhishthira’s temple among the five of the Pandavas. The temple says he came here to atone for the one half-truth of his life, spoken at Kurukshetra to bring down Drona.

Pambanaiyappan Temple, ThiruvanvandoorStanding
The Age of Great Kingdoms

Pambanaiyappan Temple, Thiruvanvandoor

Nakula’s temple among the five of the Pandavas, near the Pamba. Nammalvar’s whole decad on it is recited here in a festival that runs for weeks.

Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla (Thiruvallavazh)Standing
Cholas and the Southern Seas

Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla (Thiruvallavazh)

One of the largest temple compounds of Kerala, where Kathakali is performed as an offering almost every night. The Lord came here as a young brahmachari to kill the asura Thukalasura for a devout old woman.

Aranmula Parthasarathy TempleStanding
The Age of Great Kingdoms

Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple

One of the five Kerala temples held to be founded by the Pandavas, this is Arjuna’s, on the Pamba river. Its snake-boat regatta and grand feast are among Kerala’s best-known festivals.