View source for Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name               = Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
| image              = Ambalappuzha Temple.JPG
| alt                = A panoramic view of the temple.
| caption            =
| map_type           = India Kerala
| map_caption        = Location within Kerala
| coordinates        = {{coord|9.3836|76.3695|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| country            = India
| state              = [[Kerala]]
| district           = 
| location           = [[Ambalappuzha]]
| elevation_m        = 
| deity              = Lord [[Krishna]]
| festivals          = 
| architecture       = 
| temple_quantity    = 
| monument_quantity  = 
| inscriptions       = 
| year_completed     = ME 790
| creator            = Chembakasserry Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran
| website            = 
}}

'''Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple''' is an Indian [[Hindu]] temple dedicated to [[Krishna]] at [[Ambalappuzha]] in [[Alappuzha district]] of [[Kerala]]. The temple is believed to have been built during 15th century AD by the local ruler Chembakasserry Pooradam Thirunal-Devanarayanan Thampuran. It is one of the seven greatest [[Vaishnava]] temples in [[Travancore]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramaswamy|first=Sudha|date=5 September 2013|title=Krishna – as sweet as Madhuram|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/krishna-as-sweet-as-madhuram/article5096551.ece|access-date=15 November 2020}}</ref>

The idol at Ambalapuzha is likened to [[Parthasarthi]] form of [[Vishnu]], holding a whip in his right hand and a conch in his left. During the raids of [[Tipu Sultan]] in 1789, the idol of Sri Krishna from the [[Guruvayoor Temple]] was brought to the Ambalappuzha Temple for safe keeping for 12 years.

''[[Payasam]]'', a sweet pudding made of rice and milk is served in the temple and is believed that the Lord Guruvayoorappan visits the temple daily to accept the offering.

==Legend==

According to the legend, the god [[Krishna]] once appeared in the form of a [[Wise Old Man|sage]] in the court of the king who ruled the region and challenged him for a game of [[chess]] (or ''[[chaturanga]]''). The king being a chess enthusiast himself gladly accepted the invitation. The prize had to be decided before the game and the king asked the sage to choose his prize in case he won. The sage told the king that he had a very modest claim and being a man of few material needs, all he wished was a few grains of rice. The amount of rice itself shall be determined [[Wheat and chessboard problem|using the chess-board]] in the following manner. One grain of rice shall be placed in the first square, two grains in the second square, four in the third square, eight in the fourth square, sixteen in 5th square and so on. Every square will have double of its predecessor.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|year=1974|edition=1st|page=54}}</ref>

The king lost the game and sage demanded the agreed-upon prize. As he started adding grains of rice to the chess board, the king soon realised the true nature of the sage's demands. The royal granary soon ran out of grains of rice. The king realised that he will never be able to fulfill the promised reward as the number of grains was [[exponential growth|increasing]] as a [[geometric progression]] and the total amount of rice required for a 64-squared chess board is 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains, translating to trillions of tons of rice.

Upon seeing the dilemma, the sage appeared to the king in his true-form and told the king that he did not have to pay the debt immediately but could pay him over time. The king would serve ''paal-payasam'' (pudding made of rice) in the temple freely to the pilgrims every day until the debt was paid off.

== Festival ==
The Amabalapuzha Temple Festival was established during the fifteenth century AD. At this time, a part of the Travancore was ruled by the Chembakassery Devanarayana Dynasty. The rulers of this dynasty were highly religious and decided that an idol of Lord Krishna was to be brought to the Amabalapuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple from the Karinkulam temple. The celebration in commemoration of the bringing of this idol of Lord Krishna is the origin of the Amabalapuzha Temple Festival, also referred to as the Chambakulam Moolam water festival. This festival is conducted every year on the Moolam day of the Mithunam month of the Malayalam era. The Aaraattu festival takes place on the Thiruvonam day in March–April.

==Gallery==
{{Gallery
|title=Views of the temple
|width=160
|height=170
|lines=4
|align=center
|File:Entrance of Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple.jpg|Outer entrance of temple
|File:Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple7.jpg|Inside view
|File:AmbalaPuzha Temple.jpg|Temple stepwell
|File:Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple6.jpg|Temple and stepwell
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple 01.jpg|Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple Lamp.jpg|Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple Chuttuvilakku
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple lock.jpg|Temple Lock
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple Kunchan nambiar Mizhave.jpg|
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple Holy well.jpg|Holy well
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple seen from pond.jpg|Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple and pond
|File:Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple Ficus religiosa.jpg|''Ficus religiosa''
}}

==See also==
{{portal|Temples|Kerala}}
<!--Maintain alphabetical order-->
* [[Ambalappuzha Vijayakrishnan]]
* [[Temples of Kerala]]
* [[Temple festivals of Kerala]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2011/07/ambalapuzha-sree-krishna-temple.html Facts about Ambalapuzha Temple]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050831131155/http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/kerala/ambalapuzha/index.htm Ambalapuzha Temple from the book: ''Temples and Legends of Kerala'']
*[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ambalappuzha,kerala,india&ie=UTF8&ll=9.38363,76.369545&spn=0.003652,0.004662&t=h&z=18 Ambalappuzha temple in Google Maps]

{{Commons category|Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple}}
{{Vishnu temples}}
{{Hindu temples in Kerala}}

[[Category:Krishna temples]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Alappuzha district]]