Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

Introduction to the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple is a famous Vishnu temple situated in Tripunithura, Kochi. Vishnu, here, is otherwise known as Poornathrayeesa or Santhana Gopala Murthy. Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple is the first of eight royal temples of the former Kingdom of Cochin. Sree Poornathrayeesa was the family deity of the erstwhile Kochi dynasty. The meaning of Poornathrayeesa is "thra" means three, 'poorna' means complete, and 'isa' means Iswara, which implies the deity of knowledge, or the deity of the three Vedas – Rig, Yajur, and Sama.

Legend of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

According to the temple legend, Arjuna, the third Pandava, founded the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple. It is believed that when Arjuna requested Vishnu to give rebirth to ten children of a Brahmin, Vishnu granted Arjuna's request and offered him the idol of Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple. Arjuna transported the ten children and the holy statue on his chariot before giving custody of the ten children to the Brahmin.

Arjuna sent Ganesha to explore a sacred site for the idol's installation. Moolasthanam originated in the Poonithura Sree Krishna temple, 2 km west of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Tripunithura. Later, the ruler moved the deity from there to the existing location. A group constructed the sanctum in a chariot shape to honor this occasion.

The Architecture of the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple displays Kerala's architectural style, with a complete wooden construction and a temple pond. It was built ten decades ago. The great architect Sri Eachara Warrier reconstructed it in 1921, and the Cochin royal family was the main contributor to this temple. On the western side, it has an ancient gopuram built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The gopuram on the west is rich in wood carvings. Copper sheets cover the sanctum's roof, while its entrance is covered with golden sheets. The side walls of the sanctum are heavily adorned with thick brass sheets embossed with deities.

Sree Poornathrayeesa, an incarnation of Vishnu, is the main deity here. He graces in the form of Santhana Gopala Murthy in the east direction. The deity is in a sitting posture under the shade of the five-hooded serpent Anantha. His two upper arms hold Shanku (conch) and Sudarshana Chakra (holy disc), and his lower right arm has the Padmam (Lotus flower). The first floor of the two-storied gopuram has a Mandapam supported by eight beautifully carved wooden pillars.

Dhwaja Sthambam:

1. Kuru Swaroopam installed the first Dhwaja Sthambam in 1533 AD, which fell in 1654 AD.
2. The second Dhwaja Sthambam was installed the following year but fell in 1820.
3. The third Dhwaja Sthambam was installed in 1827 and was destroyed in a 1920 fire accident.
4. The present Dhwaja Sthambam is the fourth one installed in 1932.

Festivals in the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple

Vrishchika Ulsavam, Ambalam Kath, Moosari, Uthram Thirunal, and Atha Chamayam are the important festivals conducted in the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple.

The Vrishchikolsavam is the most important festival conducted annually in Vrishchikam (November-December). It marks the beginning of the "Ulsava" season in Kerala.