Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Krishna as Unnikrishna (the child Krishna), with Bhagavathy (Balabhadrakali) temple · Thrissur, Kerala, India
Thiruvambadi (also spelt Thiruvambady) Sri Krishna Temple stands on Shoranur Road in Thrissur city, Kerala. Its main deity is Unnikrishna, Krishna in the form of a child, and a Bhagavathy shrine beside him receives equal worship. The temple is run by the Thiruvambady Devaswom.
The temple is best known as one of the two principal participants in Thrissur Pooram, the city's great annual temple festival. Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu field rival processions of caparisoned elephants that face each other in front of the Vadakkunnathan Temple. The devaswom notes that the temple itself is small, though its round of worship and festivals is that of a major temple.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
According to the devaswom, the main idol is Unnikrishna, Krishna as an infant. To his left is a shrine of Bhagavathy, worshipped as Balabhadrakali, the goddess Kali as a child, and she is honoured with the same devotion as Krishna. Ganesha, Dharma Sastha and the founders of the temple have separate shrines outside the nalambalam (inner cloister). Several other deities, including Ghantakarna and Bhairava, are enshrined just outside the temple walls.
The temple's festival role is what makes it widely known. Kerala Tourism describes Thrissur Pooram as a gathering of gods and goddesses from neighbouring temples at the Vadakkunnathan (Shiva) Temple, led by the deities of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi. The two sides compete in decoration, percussion and fireworks. Wikipedia records that the Thiruvambadi Bhagavathy is regarded as the younger sister of the Paramekkavu Bhagavathy.
On Pooram day, Kerala Tourism says, the procession from Thiruvambadi first goes to Brahmaswom Madom. Kerala Tourism describes this as the ancestral house of a family that helped Sakthan Thampuran in the festival's early days. The deity rests there for a while, a stop known as Madathil Varavu, before moving on to the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Kerala Tourism singles out the Madathil Varavu as the best-known part of the temple's Pooram procession.
Heritage
History of Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
The devaswom gives the temple's origin story. The idol now worshipped here was once a Parthasarathy (Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer) image in a temple also called Thiruvambadi at Edakkalathur, a village about 15 km from Thrissur. About four centuries ago, the devaswom says, the village was threatened by violent unrest. Some villagers carried the idol to Thrissur by night and entrusted it to a devout childless couple at Kachanappilly Illam, about 200 m from the present temple. According to tradition, the couple cared for the image as their own child, and the Lord came to be worshipped as Unnikrishna, holding a flute rather than a charioteer's whip. A small shrine was later built about 200 m south of the illam. The devaswom's home page puts the move to Thrissur at about five centuries ago, so the exact period is uncertain.
The devaswom also tells the story of the Bhagavathy shrine. The couple were devotees of the goddess at Kodungallur, and the husband walked there and back every month for darshan. When age stopped him, devotees believe, the goddess followed him home and her presence settled in a granite pillar in the courtyard of the house. That consecrated pillar is now installed in the sanctum to the left of Unnikrishna.
Thrissur Pooram was planned in the late 18th century by Rama Varma, ruler of Cochin, better known as Sakthan Thampuran (1751–1805), according to the devaswom. Kerala Tourism and the Thrissur District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) also credit him with starting it more than 200 years ago. The devaswom says he cleared the forest around the Vadakkunnathan Temple to create the Thekkinkadu ground and chose Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu as the two main participants. The DTPC adds that the festival grew after temple groups from around Thrissur were turned away from the older Arattupuzha Pooram when rain delayed their arrival.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple follows the traditional Kerala plan, with a sanctum inside a nalambalam and subsidiary shrines in the outer courtyard, according to the devaswom. The festival page also mentions a gold-covered flagmast (dhwajam), on which the temple flag is raised for the annual Thiru Utsavam. The devaswom describes the structure as small; its importance lies in its rituals and festivals rather than its size.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The devaswom website publishes the daily routine of poojas and offers online booking of offerings. Crowds are very heavy around Thrissur Pooram, when roads near the Swaraj Round are packed. Confirm current timings, dress rules and festival-day arrangements with the Thiruvambady Devaswom before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Thiruvambady Devaswom (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Thrissur Pooram
The temple's most important festival. Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu lead rival processions to the Vadakkunnathan Temple, ending in the evening face-off of 15 elephants on each side for the Kudamattam (exchange of parasols), followed by fireworks.
Sree Krishna Jayanthi
Krishna's birthday, with floral and lamp decorations and a morning procession of five decorated elephants with Panchari Melam, according to the devaswom.
Thiru Utsavam
An eight-day festival that begins with the flag-hoisting on the Pooyam asterism, preceded by a week of Sahasrakalasam purification rites and ending with Pallivetta and Aarattu.
Kalampattu and Vela
The Bhagavathy is drawn on the floor in coloured powders each day; the season ends with the Vela, a night procession with elephants to the Vadakkunnathan Temple ground, usually in early January.
Vaikunta Ekadasi
Celebrated with elephant processions, lamps and percussion, preceded by a ten-day festival of classical music.
Navaratri
Ten days of music and cultural programmes, Saraswathy worship and Vidyarambham (initiation of children into writing) on Vijayadasami.
Location
How to Reach Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
The devaswom gives the temple's location as about 1 km north of the Vadakkunnathan Temple and about 800 m from Swaraj Round, on Shoranur Road. It is about a ten-minute drive from Thrissur railway station and the city bus stand. Punkunnam railway station, a smaller station, is about 250 m from the temple.
For visitors coming for Thrissur Pooram, the Thrissur DTPC lists Thrissur Round bus stop about 1 km from the Pooram ground, Thrissur railway station about 3 km away, and Cochin International Airport about 53 km away.
Location: Thrissur, Kerala, India
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport (about 53 km from the Pooram ground, per DTPC Thrissur)
Nearest railway station: Punkunnam (about 250 m) and Thrissur, per the devaswom
More in Hindu temples in Kerala · Krishna as Unnikrishna (the child Krishna), with Bhagavathy (Balabhadrakali) temples · Temples in Thrissur Taluk · Temples in Thrissur District
Questions
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Which deity is worshipped at Thiruvambadi Temple?
The main deity is Unnikrishna, Krishna as a child. A Bhagavathy (Balabhadrakali) shrine beside him receives equal worship, according to the devaswom.
What is Thiruvambadi's role in Thrissur Pooram?
Thiruvambadi is one of the two principal participants, with Paramekkavu. Its procession stops at Brahmaswom Madom (Madathil Varavu) before reaching the Vadakkunnathan Temple, and in the evening its 15 elephants face Paramekkavu's for the Kudamattam.
Where did the Thiruvambadi Krishna idol come from?
The devaswom says it was originally a Parthasarathy idol from a temple at Edakkalathur, about 15 km from Thrissur, brought to the city centuries ago when the village faced unrest.
Who started Thrissur Pooram?
The devaswom, Kerala Tourism and DTPC Thrissur all credit Sakthan Thampuran (Rama Varma), ruler of Cochin, with starting the festival more than 200 years ago.
When is Thrissur Pooram held?
It is held in the Malayalam month of Medam (April–May) on the Pooram asterism, according to Kerala Tourism and the devaswom. Exact dates change every year.
How do I reach Thiruvambadi Temple?
The temple is on Shoranur Road, about 1 km north of the Vadakkunnathan Temple and about 800 m from Swaraj Round. Punkunnam railway station is about 250 m away, and Thrissur railway station is about a ten-minute drive.
Sources and attribution
- Thiruvambady Devaswom — About: Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple – The Deities, Advent of Krishna, Bhagavathy
- Thiruvambady Devaswom — Festivals – Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple
- Thiruvambady Devaswom — Thrissur Pooram – Origin and Growth, Divine Durbar
- Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala — Thiruvambady Temple in Thrissur
- Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala — Thrissur Pooram (Enchanting Kerala newsletter, issue 200, April 2010)
- District Tourism Promotion Council, Thrissur — Thrissur Pooram
- Wikipedia — Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple
Further reading: Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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