Sri Thrikkakara Vamana Moorthy Temple

1. Thrikkakara Temple is a Vishnu shrine dedicated to his Vamana Avatar. 
2. It is located in Thrikkakara, Kochi, in Kerala. 
3. Here the Lord is worshipped as Thrikkakarayappan or Thirukatkarai Appan. 
4. While it is claimed that it was Parashurama, himself an incarnation of Vishnu, who established this shrine, the temple, as such, is said to be more than 2000 years old. 
5. This is also regarded as a Divya Desam, a particularly holy abode of Vishnu.
6. Constructed in Kerala style architecture, the temple is glorified in the early mediaeval Tamil saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD. 
7. The legend describes that lord Vishnu descended as ‘Vamana’ to restore the authority of Indra, the king of heaven, as it had been taken by a demon named Mahabali. 
8. Lord Vamana or Thrivikrama is the fifth avatara(incarnation) of Vishnu, and the first incarnation of the Treta yuga. 
9. Also he is the first avatar of Vishnu which appears with a completely human form, though it was that of a dwarf brahmin.
10. Vamana took birth as the son of Kashyapa and Aditi in the month of Bhadrapada. 
11. He is also sometimes known as Upendra or Indranuja.
12. Vamana temples are very rare in Kerala. 
13. Thrikkakara Vamana Temple in Ernakulam is the most important Vamana Temple in Kerala and is closely associated with the Onam festival. 
14. People believe that Thrikkakara Temple is the only Vamana Temple in Kerala. 
15. But there are at least 5 vamana temples in Kerala. 
16. The other famous Vamana Temples in Kerala are Mevelloor Vamana Moorthy Temple in Kottayam district and Vamanapuram Vamana Moorthy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
17. Thrikkakara Temple is one of the few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana, the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. 
18. The name Thrikkakara means the holy place where the Lord placed His foot. Thiru-kal-kari later became Thrikkakara.
19. The temple is under the administration of the Travancore Devaswom Board.

PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 1:



1. The Bhagavata Purana describes that Vishnu descended as the Vamana avatharam to restore the authority of Indra over the heavens, as it had been taken by Bali, a benevolent Asura King. 
2. Bali was the grandson of Prahlada, the son of Virochana. King Bali was generous, and engaged in severe austerities and penance and won the praise of the world. 
3. With the praise from his courtiers and others, he regarded himself as the all-powerful in the world.
4. Vamana, in the guise of a short Brahmin carrying a palm leaf umbrella, went to the king to request three paces of land. 
5. Bali consented, against the warning of his guru, Sukracharya. 
6. Vamanan then revealed his identity and enlarged it to gigantic proportions to stride over the three worlds. 
7. He stepped from heaven to earth with the first step, from earth to the netherworld with the second. 
8. King Bali, unable to fulfil his promise, offered his head for the third.
9. Vamana then placed his foot and gave the king immortality for his humility. 
10. Upon worshipping Mahabali and his ancestor Prahláda, he conceded sovereignty of Rasatala. 
11. Some texts also report that Vamana did not step into the Rasatala, and instead gave its rule to Bali and granted him the boon to become the next Indra. In giant form, Vamana is known as Trivikrama. 
12. The legend is associated with the temple and also with Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tirukoyilur and Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram.

PURANIC SIGNIFICANCE 2:

1. This sthala Emperumaan, Kaatkarai Appan is worshipped by the people treating him as the Amsam of Vaamanan. 
2. They take a very big utsavam for this perumal during the Onam festival.
3. Kerala is famous for Bananas and especially for a particular type named “Nenthiram”. 
4. This banana has a closer relationship with this sthala perumal. 
5. Once, a bhaktar (devotee) of the perumal, had a big land where the banana trees are planted. 
6. But, it doesn’t give him any yield and doesn’t give him any bananas. 
7. The devotee felt that it might be some wrong thing he might have done and as a result of this only, the trees are not giving him the proper yield. 
8. So, he decided, the sight of the perumal fell on banana trees and from that time, it gave him lots of yield. 
9. Seen by the Kaatkarai appan’s Nethira eyes, the yield was very high and because of this, the bananas are named as “Nethiram Pazham”.
10. The Golden bananas which are dedicated towards Kaatkarai appan lost one day and the king on hearing this, blamed the loss on a Yogi, who doesn’t know anything about it. 
11. He punished the yogi and treated him badly. 
12. But, the golden bananas were found inside the Garbhagriham of Moolavar sannadhi. 
13. On knowing this, the Yogi got angry and gave the sabham for the time, since he was caught as the thief only because of the time and after giving the sabham, he suicided and died. 
14. But, his soul didn't leave the world but it turned into a Brahma Raatshasan and roamed the world.
15. To get out of the Sabham, as suggested by himself (the Yogi who is in the form of the Raatshasan), constructed a bamboo roof and destroyed it using the fire in this sthalam and thereby from the bright fire that comes out from the bamboo would ride away the sabham of the Yogi. 
16. They suggested a thatch of bamboo and created a light with "Koraipul", a grass which helped him be redeemed from the curse.
17. After this, they all did the same thing suggested by the Yogi to rid away the curse known as sabham. 
18. As a result of this, a small temple was constructed for the Yogi and daily poojas are done to make him cool. 
19. This is one of the purana (older) histories told about this sthalam.
20. Kaatkarai Appan gave his pratyaksham for Kapila munivar. 
21. Kapila munivar was born as the son for Karthama Prasapathi and Devabhoothi and he is said to be the amsam of Vishnu. 
22. He explained the Gnana thathuvam for his mother itself. 
23. He was given space to do his daily Tapas by the Sea Lord known as Samuthira rajan.
24. Once, Indiran grabbed the horse of Sakaraas and tied the horse behind the hut of Kapila muni. 
25. Thinking that Kapila muni had made a theft by taking the horse towards himself, the Sakaraas blamed it upon Kapila muni. 
26. But, on hearing the blaming words from them, he got angry and made them into ash by his firing vision.
27. After this, Bakeerathan, got the Ganga water from Lord Shiva and poured on the ash of Sakaraas to make them get the mukthi. 
28. Having this kind of greatness is Kapila muni, who was given the pratyaksham of the perumal.