A journey to a land where the stories of the Mahabharata lie asleep—Onattukara, a region famed for serving Onam sadya every single day. Before we reach there, let us begin with a story—the legend of Evoor and the Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple, fondly known as the Guruvayur of Onattukara. Evoor is a village near Haripad in Alappuzha District.
The story of the origin of the Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple
The story connects the Khandava forest and Agni Deva
Years back, the place was a dense forest, named Khandava, filled with medicinal plants and big trees. The forest was filled with wild animals too. A powerful ruler named Shvetaki conducted a yaga, which lasted for 100 years. As instructed by Lord Shiva, yaga was done under the guidance of Saint Durvasa. As it lasted for a long time, while Lord Agni was devouring clarified butter uninterrupted, he got a stomach ailment. Agni Deva prayed to Lord Brahma to give him a solution. Brahma advised him to consume Khandava forest, as it is filled with medicinal herbs. Thus Agni reached there to eat the forest.
Indra’s friend Thakshaka was residing in that forest. When fire started spreading, to rescue his friend, Indra intervened and, with his thundershowers, stopped Agni. Sad Agni again reached Brahma. Lord consoled him and asked him to tell Lord Krishna and Arjuna the matter. What happened next?
Lord Agni once sought the help of Krishna and Arjuna. Arjuna readily agreed and accompanied Agni to the forest. When Agni began burning the forest, Indra intervened by sending heavy rains. To counter this, Arjuna shot a continuous stream of arrows from his Gandiva, forming a sealed canopy that prevented the rain from extinguishing the fire. Thus, Agni was able to consume the Khandava Forest completely, curing his stomach ailment, after which he departed.
Out of gratitude, Lord Agni wished to install an idol of Lord Vishnu at that very place. The idol, embodying the divine presence of Vishnu, had four arms. Krishna granted permission to consecrate the idol at the spot where Arjuna had released his arrows. Arjuna marked the location, and as per belief, Lord Agni and Arjuna installed the idol together, while Lord Krishna himself infused divine power into it and performed Prana Pratishta. Since Lord Krishna directly consecrated the idol, the Vishu season holds special significance for this temple. Several texts suggest that the temple is thousands of years old.
Another legend connects the Khandava Forest to Sage Kanva
It is believed that he possessed an Archa Moorthy—a four-armed idol of Lord Vishnu—which he requested to be spared from the forest fire. His wish was granted, and this idol was later installed at the temple.
According to folklore, the name of the place also traces back to this episode. “Sharam Eytha Ooru”—meaning “the place where the arrow was shot”—gradually became Eythoor, and eventually Evoor. Several nearby place names also echo memories of the burnt forest: Karippuzha (charcoal lake), Kannamangalam (believed to be associated with Sage Kanva), Pathiyoor (a corruption of Kathiya Oor, meaning a burnt place), Pandavarkavu, Mannarasala, and many others.
Temple Rituals of Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy
Let us now enter the temple and learn about its rituals. As you step in through the eastern gopuram, your eyes are drawn to the temple roof, beautifully clad in brass. In the serene atmosphere, devotees pray to Lord Krishna while slowly circumambulating the sacred space. The idol of Lord Krishna stands in the Chaturbahu (four-armed) form, smiling gently amid the fragrance of camphor that fills the air.
Almost all the rituals followed in ancient Kerala temples are observed here as well. Many age-old legends and traditions still lie preserved within the temple premises. Every year, on Makara Sankramam—the first day of the Malayalam month of Makaram—the annual festival begins with Kodiyettu, the hoisting of the flag bearing the emblem of Garuda. The celebrations continue for ten days.
Both Ashtami Rohini (Sree Krishna Jayanthi) and Vishu are regarded as highly auspicious days at the temple. The Kala-kettu—decorated bull effigies displayed on the ninth day of the festival—is particularly famous. The festival concludes on the tenth day with Aarattu, the ceremonial holy bath of the deity, followed by the lowering of the flag.
The massive Balikkal Pura (the main sanctum platform) is almost the height of a man. Its upper portion is adorned with exquisite sculptures, resembling a poem written across two horizontal planes, one above the other. The lower panel narrates the story of the Ramayana—from the birth of Rama to his coronation—while the upper panel depicts episodes from the Mahabharata. As you circumambulate the temple, the Ramayana unfolds before your eyes like a moving reel.
In the upper tier, the story of Lord Shiva, Arjuna, and the Pashupatastra is sculpted in striking detail. The carvings powerfully narrate how Lord Shiva tested Arjuna and ultimately granted him the divine weapon. Chisels and hands seem to have written this tale in stone with extraordinary intensity.
Vishu Kaineettam is given by children in Evoor temple
During the Vishu season, the Konna tree (Cassia fistula) blossoms in radiant yellow outside the temple, mirroring the golden attire of Lord Krishna. The intense yellow blooms completely blanket the green foliage during this period, creating a breathtaking sight.
In most temples, Vishu Kaineettam—coins or small amounts of money—is traditionally given by elders to younger members of the family on Vishu morning. However, at this temple, children also offer Kaineettam to elders. This unique practice began around 25 years ago and has continued ever since. Every Vishu morning, thousands of devotees gather here to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna. Each year, more than ₹20,000 is distributed to devotees in the form of coins.
There is a fascinating legend behind this special Kaineettam offered by children. Years ago, a member of the temple committee had a divine vision in a dream. He saw a young boy emerge from the Sreekovil, take coins from an urli, and distribute them to devotees. The dreamer identified the boy as Lord Krishna himself and shared this experience with the temple authorities.
Elders then recalled the ancient offering of Trimadhura (three sweet ingredients), a ritual that had been discontinued long ago. Traditionally, devotees offered Lord Krishna Kadali bananas, jaggery, and honey, along with ghee, served on folded banana-leaf tips. Realising that the Lord had reminded them of this forgotten custom, the temple authorities decided to revive the practice. From then on, along with one-rupee coins, children also began distributing Trimadhura to devotees on Vishu day.
The coins to be distributed are placed in an urli inside the Sreekovil a day in advance. After the early-morning Vishu darshan, children distribute both the Trimadhura and the coins to devotees. In recent years, saplings of various trees are also given free as Vishu Kaineettam. Since Vishu is deeply connected to agriculture and prosperity, this gesture holds special relevance even today.
A Vishu Sadya is also organised every year. Interestingly, for more than the past twelve years, the Vishu Sadya has been prepared by a person belonging to a different religious faith, reflecting the inclusive spirit upheld by the temple, according to temple authorities.
Velakali and Pappadam Parappikkal (Pappad Flying)
Velakali is conducted at the Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple from the third to the ninth day of the annual festival. When the Ezhunnallath (procession) of Lord Krishna reaches the Aanakottil, the Velakali performers begin their march from the eastern side of the temple. After circumambulating the temple, the Kulathil Vela (play in the pond) begins.
There is a temple pond known as Velakulam, and it is believed that the Lord himself compels the performers to leap into the pond. Reaching the other side, they continue their performance. Velakali is conducted in the belief that Lord Krishna annihilated evil forces.
In front of Sree Bhootanathan, special rituals such as the flying of betel leaves and pappadam are performed. Devotees offer betel leaves and pappadam before the deity and themselves toss the pappadam in front of the idol. Many devotees take these “flying” pappadam home as sacred offerings. This ritual is performed only during the Arattu procession—the concluding ceremony—when devotees fling thousands of pappadam bundles as part of the offering.
The dream that led to the renovation of the Evoor temple in the 19th century
As you circumambulate the temple, you finally reach the Oottupura—the dining hall where devotees are served food. It was constructed by Alummoottil Sekharan, even before the Temple Entry Proclamation issued by Chithira Thirunal Maharaja. At that time, he did not have permission to enter the temple. Yet, standing outside, he supervised the entire construction of the hall.
The temple, with its brass-covered roof, was built during the reign of Sree Moolam Thirunal of Travancore. Once, while he was on a pilgrimage to Kashi, the Maharaja had a strange dream in which fire and smoke rose around Lord Krishna, who was playing the flute. The very next day, a messenger arrived with the tragic news that the Evoor Temple had caught fire. The messenger also informed the Maharaja that before the sacred sanctum was engulfed in flames, the chief priest had reached the temple through the pond, rescued the idol from the sanctum, and placed it safely in the Oottupura.
Realising that the incident had unfolded exactly as he had seen in his dream, the Maharaja ordered the renovation of the temple.
Bhoothanathaswamy and Yakshi Amma – the only subdieties
Unlike other temples, Evoor Krishna temple has one sub-deity – Lord Shiva in the form of Kiradamoorthy and goddess Parvati in the form of Yakshi Amma seated next to him on a stool. Bhootnath has no sanctum or roof, and he resides outside the main temple, exposed to rain and sun. One of his major offerings is Kathakali. To fulfil their wishes, devotees perform kathakali in front of the diety. More than 175 performances happen every year. During Avatar Pooja, some people perform Kathakali with Krishna as one of the characters.
The main idol of Krishna has four arms. He holds Panchajanya, Sudarshana Chakra and butter in three of his arms, while the fourth hand rests on his hip. There is one special offering in this temple, which is not done in other Krishna/Vishnu temples. It is Raktha Pushpanjali, as the deity exists here in a fierce form
Temple doors are shut now after the noon pooja. Temple premises are almost isolated now. Perhaps Krishna is playing one of his leelas behind those banyan leaves, hidden from everyone.
This is my Vishu Kaineettam to all readers. Happy Vishu, everyone.
Also, read a few more articles related to Kerala temples. Click on the images in the gallery to read.
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