Trichambaram Srikrishna Swami Temple, one of the most celebrated Krishna shrines of Malabar, is situated near Taliparamba town in the district of Kannur. In the local region, it constitutes one of the trinity of temples held in high regard, one being the Taliparamba Rajarajeswara temple and other the Kanjirangad Vaidyanatha temple.
The temple is believed to have got the name from Sage Shambara. Lord Krishna gave a visual of his divine form to Sage Shambara and his wife at Trichambaram when he came looking for his brother Balarama. It is also believed that Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, on his return from Mookambika temple at Kollur, did the consecration of Lord Krishna in the form which he gave the visual to Sage Shambhara and wife. Like many other temples in Kerala, this temple is also said to have been built by Parasurama. The temple enshrines Lord Krishna, exhibiting jubilation upon destroying his uncle, Kamsa. There are two peculiar customs observed here, which reinforce the belief that the deity here represents Krishna after vanquishing Kamsa. One is the offering of nivedyam immediately after the sanctum is opened on every morning. The belief is that Krishna after killing Kamsa went to his mother Devaki and asked for food stating that he was very hungry after the ordeal. It is to commemorate this event that the ritual of offering food is observed as the first thing in the morning even before decorating the idol.
The other is the prohibition of elephants being taken anywhere near the temple. It may be recalled that the royal elephant Kuvalayapida charged Krishna and Balarama while they were entering the palace of Kamsa. Since this incident Krishna had developed hatred against elephants. For this reason no one dares taking an elephant near the temple although elephants are very much part of all other Kerala temples where the deities are mostly carried atop these animals in procession.
Once, as the story goes, a wealthy Muslim who purchased a beautiful elephant decided to conduct a test and also exhibit his valor. Against the advice of priests, he mounted the elephant and took it near the temple on the eastern side. Suddenly the doors of the sanctum which were closed opened and a thunder was heard. The elephant's front legs bent and it fell down throwing off the mahout. He realized the power of the Lord, repented his action and made amends by making offerings.
The deity of the temple is Lord Krishna consecrated inside a two-storeyed sanctum which faces east with four projecting gables on a pyramidal roof. The sanctum has beautiful carvings and murals from the 15th and 16th centuries. The sculptures on the walls of the sanctum sanctorum are a class by themselves. The temple also contains one of the most exquisite collection of mural paintings in south India. Trichambaram Temple has three ponds attached to it, with the shrine for Goddess Durga being surrounded by water on all sides. The water level remains always the same, it neither increases during the rainy season or decreases during summer. At night, the place turns enchanting with a zillion oil lamps lit around the temple reflected in the water. The presumption is that the temple is situated in Dwaraka. It is significant that all around the temple, the water level is high.
The annual festival at Trichambaram is in the month of March. It starts with the flag-hoisting ceremony on 22 of the Malayalam month of Kumbha. The same night, Lord Balarama from Dharmakkulam (Mazhur) which is about 6 Kms away is brought in procession. Priests who dance to the accompaniment of percussion instruments carry the images of both Krishna and Balarama on the head. The dance takes place at night daily up to the 2nd of Meenam month at 'Pookothunada', a place on the main road about 2 furlongs from Trichambaram temple.
The word 'Thidambu' suggests the direct manifestation of the deity. Idols being carried on top of elephants during festivals as also replicas beings held on shoulders while dancing to the rhythm of percussion instruments are a common sight in Kerala. But, dancing with the replicas on the heads, is a unique feature in the North.
There is a legend behind the practice of conducting dance at 'Pookothunada'. Years ago there were several Brahmin houses on either side of the road. Pookothunada was the courtyard of one of the houses called Pookathillam, where lived a devout Namboothiri woman. Like Kururamma, before whom Guruvayurappan appeared at her bidding, Trichambaresan appeared before the woman at will. The lady who never missed her visit to the temple and offering of butter to the Lord in course of time became so old that she could no longer pay any visit to the temple. Another regret of her was that she could not witness the dance during the annual festival, which took place at the temple. She prayed ardently to Trichamabaresan and expressed her desire to see the dance. That night, as the dances commenced, as though in a trance, the dancers made their way to the Pookathillam and danced to the joy of the old woman. This practice continued although the Brahmin houses are no longer there today.
There is an Elanji tree just in front of the temple which bears no fruits but only flowers.Legend says that, once a man afflicted with a severe skin disease with sores all over the body came to Trichambaram as his last resort. He spent his entire time in the temple worshipping the Lord. He would make his appearance in the morning as the sanctum opened and would go out only at night when the temple doors were closed. He often sat on the platform beneath an Ilanji tree on the south side. The fruit falling on his body hurt him and he writhed in pain. One day he cried out to the Lord and asked him why he did not show mercy to him. Eventually the tree stopped bearing fruits and he was also cured of the severe disease.
Even today there is a custom during the temple festival when the dancer carrying the idol on his head dances before the tree and devotees keep a ring on a leaf of the tree and make obeisance. The ring is available from the temple authorities for a token amount and many devotees observe the ritual hoping that the Lord would fulfill their desires as he did in the case of the man mentioned above.
