Payammal Shatrughna Temple

Introduction to the Payammal Shatrughna Temple

Payammal Shatrughna Temple is located in Aripalam, Thrissur, Kerala. It is a rare shrine, as it is dedicated to Shatrughna, Sri Rama's youngest brother. Hordes of devotees visit the temple during the Naalambalam (4 temples) Yatra.

After visiting Sri Rama's Triprayar temple in Thrissur, Lakshmana's Thirumoozhikalam temple in Ernakulam, and Bharata's Koodalmanikya temple in Thrissur, people visit the Payammal Shatrughna Temple.

Devotees visit the Payammal Shatrughna Temple as the fourth temple when they embark on the Naalambalam Yatra. They consider visiting Naalambalam a sacred event during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.

The Payammal Shatrughna Temple is now under the maintenance of Shatrughna Seva Samiti.

Legend of the Payammal Shatrughna Temple

According to legend, a local ruler named Vakkail Kaimal dreamt one night that a strange person appeared before him and told him that four idols had washed ashore and were to be consecrated in some places.

Kaimal rushed to the seashore the next day and found the four idols, as indicated in his dream. The idols of Sri Rama at Triprayar, Bharata at Irinjalakuda, Lakshmana at Moozhikulam, and Shatrughna at Payammal were consecrated and installed as per the instructions in his dream. Worshipping in these four temples on the same day is believed to be meritorious. Krishna supposedly worshipped all these idols.

Payammal Shatrughna Temple is part of the famous Naalambalam Darshan Yatra.

The Architecture of the Payammal Shatrughna Temple

The temple is in the Kerala style of architecture with many wooden structures.

The Payammal Shatrughna Temple enshrines a small idol of Shathrughna, who is considered the reincarnation of Mahavishu's Sudarshana Chakra.

The idol of Shatrughna is 3.5 feet tall; it is in a square-shaped sanctum standing towards the west. The original Panchaloha has been untraceable, though efforts were made to retrieve it from the temple pond in the temple complex's backyard. The existing idol made of granite shows a rare kind of divinity. His four-armed idol is otherwise called Chatur Bahu idol. Ganesha is the sub-deity, and Hanuman is installed in the Mukha Mandapa.

Visitors can see a lamp behind the Shathrughna idol inside the sanctum. Priests say that this lamp is lit for Sruthakeerthi, Shatrughna's wife.

The Payammal Shatrughna Temple has three main Poojas daily: Usha Pooja, Ucchi Pooja, and Athazha Pooja.

Festivals in the Payammal Shatrughna Temple

The Payammal Shatrughna Temple grandly celebrates a five-day festival that starts on the Pooyam star of Kumbha month and culminates with the Naalambalam Yatra. The temple also observes the Pratishtha day on Makayiram day in Aries month.

Devotees offer Sudarshana Chakra and Sudarshana Pushpanjali to the deity, which they believe will bring prosperity to their families. Shathrusamhara Pushpanjali and Prasadam oottu (food offerings) are other main offerings in the temple.