108 Divya-deshams: Thiruvanvandoor

BY: SUN STAFF

Thiruvanvandoor Temple

Jan 14, 2024 — CANADA (SUN) — A tour of the 108 Divya-desams, the divine abodes of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.

The Thiruvanvandoor Mahavishnu Temple is located in Thiruvanvandoor, Alappuzha District of Kerala. Constructed in the Kerala style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham as one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped here as Paambanaiappan.

This temple is one of the five Pandava Temples, Thiruvanvandoor having been built by Nakula Pandava.It is situated near the Sree Gosalakrishna Temple, and the two tirthas share the same large compound. The Gosalakrishna Temple is very modern in comparison, having been built just 50 years ago by local villagers.

Nakula Pandava built the original temple here and installed Lord Visnu at the time of the Pandava vanavasam, their self-imposed pilgrimage of penance. The Pandava princes, after crowning Parikshit as king of Hastinapura, left on pilgrimage. On arriving on the banks of river Pamba, each one built a temple and installed an image of Sri Krishna. Bhrigu Rsi is also associated with the consecration of this temple.

Sree Paambanaiappan

The presiding Deity at Thiruvanvandoor is Lord Paambanaiappan, the Lord's Form named for the Pamba River, which flows by the temple.

Earliest references to this temple, like the other four Pandava temples, appear in the poems and hymns composed by the great saint Nammalvar, circa 800 AD. Stone inscriptions in the temple date back to the Second Chera Empire (800 - 1102 AD).

Thiruvanvandoor Temple

The temple is built in Kerala style architecture. It has a two storey gopuram, the upper story having wooden trails covering the Kottupura (a hall of drum beating during festivals). A rectangular wall around the temple encloses all the shrines of the temple, and is called Kshetra-Madilluka. The dvajasthambam is located axial to the temple tower leading to the central sanctum and there is a deepastamba (light post).

The major event at Thiruvanvandoor is an annual festival put on by the Gosalakrishna Temple. Called Gajamela, it focuses on a process of the Temple Elephants. In 2010, the event was observed for 51 days, in honor of the 47th anniversary of Shree Gosalakrishna's installation. 21 caparisoned elephants came out on the yatra.

Gajamela

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