Thiruvarppu, the Temple that Opens first in India

It is a common practice to open temples in the early morning. Hence it may be difficult to say which temple opens first in India. No, doubt about as there is only one answer for this, it is none other than Thiruvarppu Sri Krishna Temple at Thiruvarppu, in the Kottayam district of Kerala. Every day, it opens at 2 a.m. and surprisingly it will not be kept closed during eclipses when all other temples throughout India will be closed as per the tradition.

Legends behind Thiruvarppu Sri Krishna Temple

There is more than one legend behind this temple and all of them are related to the recovery of a Krishna Idol with four hands attached to a copper vessel which is called Uruli or Varppu in local language Malayalam. And all the legends connect this temple to the period of Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas used to carry an idol of Lord Krishna during their stay in the forests (Vanavasa). Their Vanavasa ended up here in Thiruvarppu and before going in disguise (Ajnjatha Vasa) the villagers request the Pandu brothers to leave behind the idol there so that they can worship it as their village deity. They agreed and handed the same to the head of the village.

The villagers constructed a temple and consecrated this idol of Sri Krishna with four hands. To the utter surprise of the villagers, they had to face many hardships after starting worshiping the idol. They approached an eminent astrologer and he told them that they are not worshipping the idol properly. Since they are not able to meet the level of devotion Pandavas had, they cannot worship it properly in the future also so, he advised them to immerse it in the nearby lake. They did accordingly.

Years have passed. Once, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, a great sage who was a tool in consecrating idols in many Temples in Kerala was traveling on a boat. Suddenly the boat stopped moving and the rowers though tried their best could not move even a bit further. As told by the Swamiyar, one of the rowers dived deep in the lake and found an idol of Sri Krishna. Swamiyar took custody of the idol and started his travel.

In between, he felt to have a bit rest and asked the rowers to anchor the boat near some good place. They did accordingly. Vilwamangalam Swakiyar got down from the boat and went near a tree to have rest. He had the idol with him. He kept the idol on a copper vessel (Varppu or Uruli in local language Malayalam) and kept it near him before he took a nap. After an hour’s sleep, he woke up. When he tried to pick up the idol, he could not as it got stuck to the soil. Hearing this news, the nearby people gathered there.  The land where Swamiyar took rest, was the property of a person called Kannankari Menon. He announced his consent to give the land for the construction of the temple and requested Swamiyar to consecrate the idol there.

In another legend, it is Padmapada Swamy, a disciple of Sankaracharya who was traveling by boat and he got the idol. It was kept inside Uruli. Then he searched for a place to place and found a temple in a nearby place where no idol has been installed. With the consent of the locals, he placed the idol in that temple.

There is one more variant of the first legend. In that, it is said that a group of fishermen who were catching fish in the sea got the idol but without a vessel. They took it to their village and constructed a temple and installed the idol there. However, many calamities happened in their village after that and hence they threw it back to the sea, and later Villwamangalam Swamiyar got it.

It is Hungry Krishna just after the killing of Kamsa

It is believed that the bhava of Krishna in this idol is that of the first moments after killing Kamsa. Hence, he is very much hungry. That is why the temple is getting opened so early at 2. Am. After opening it the priests will perform Abhisheka. Then after wiping out the water from the head of the idol, they perform a Naivedya (Feeding the deity with his favorite food) After that they will wipe out the rest of the body parts and perform the decorations and other rituals.

Moreover, this may the only temple where the chief priest is provided with the key to the main door of the Sanctum sanctorum and also an ax. This is to break open the door if he finds any problems with the keys. Lord cannot bear the hunger for a long time and it is necessary to open the door at exactly 2 a.m. If necessary, the priest can break open the door at that time. 

Why the temple remains open during eclipse

Unlike other temples in India, this temple will not be closed during eclipses. If it is closed, the lord will feel hungry which he cannot bear. It is believed that once the temple authorities closed the temple during an eclipse. When they reopened it, to their utter shock they saw the decorated belt of the idol slipped down. Fortunately, Vilvamangalam Swamiyar was there during that time and he told the authorities that it happened as the lord is too hungry. Since then, the temple will not be closed during the eclipse.

Special Features of the Temple

The temple has a special type of drum which is made with bell metal. It is believed that the lord announced the killing of Kamsa by playing this Drum.

The temple festival is being organized every year during the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May). It is a ten-day festival and on the tenth day, the rays of setting sun will enter the sanctum Santorum of the temple.

The usual offerings to god are Milk Payasam, Ghee Payasam, and Appam