The Edappally Mahaganapathy Temple is one of the most important Ganapathy temples in Kochi as well as in Kerala, visited by devotees from all over the state. The temple exists as a part of Edappally Palace in Edapally at Kochi. The deity here is the patron deity of
the Edappally Royal Family. The temple is constructed at the middle of
the forecourts of Edappally Palace and faces to the west. The legend of the formation of the temple is seen in Aitihyamala by Kottarathil Sankunni.
According to it, on one fine morning, a villager saw a single tusker's small trunk extending from somewhere within a heap of coconuts whenever he starts roasting a coconut. Having been astonished, the villager placed the roasted coconut on its trunk which soon vanished. The same thing had been repeated several times. Mean time, Edapally thamburan came that way and the villager narrated him about the whole incident. Thamburan was clever enough to identify the single tusker as Lord Ganapathi and tried different ways to attract the God by offering roasted coconuts along with certain mantras which later ended up in taking Lord Ganapathi to his palace where he consecrated the Lord in the present place and thus Lord Ganapathi became the family God of Edapally royal family.
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The visiting time in the morning is between 5.00 and 7.30 AM. The members of Edappally royal family worship after these hours. Ganpathi Homa and Unniyappam are the important offerings. It is believed by historians that Edappally Rajas (Kings of Edappalli), known to the Portuguese as Repolim and to the Dutch as Repleim, were the rulers of the late medieval feudal kingdom of Edappally (Elangallur Swaroopam), which also included parts of Karthikapally, Haripad, Cherthala in the present day state of Kerala. Edapally Rajas had no civil or criminal authority within the principality. He is entitled to all the revenue from his lands, and holds them free of tax as tribute to Travancore.
Elangallur Swaroopam is one of the two Brahmin royalties which ruled Kerala. Another is the Chembakasseri royalty which once ruled places from Kudamalloor to Ambalappuzha in Thekumkoor and the legend of that royalty is written as the opening chapter of Aitihyamaala by Kottarathil Sankunni. Edappally Rajas were great patrons of temples and are dearly called as Edappally Thampurans. They also built temples like the famous Sastha Temple at Thrikkunnapuzha in Alleppey district and Perandoor Bhagavathy Temple.
According to local legends and myths, the last king of the later Chera dynasty divided his kingdom among his various chieftains and governors. At the last minute he realized that he had not given any land to his royal priests, the Elangallur Namboothiris. He then took back some land from the other lords and gave it to the royal priest family. A new dynasty was created, the Elangalllur swaroopam or the Kingdom of the Elangallur family with their base at Edappally.
