Overview

Navaneetha Gopala Krishna Swamy Temple

Location

History

Deities

Photo Gallery

Utsavams

Vahanas

Adimakkavu

Other Agraharam Information

Contact Information

President: . PS Vancheeswaran, Contact: 9747397517

Mail ID: perinkulamkrishnatemple@gmail.com

krishnatempleperinkulam@gmail.com

T R Siva Subramanian -  +91 8779555268 ( Current Priest )

Well Known Elders from the Agraharam

Food and Catering

Hall for functions and Lodging

Bank Accounts for sending Kanikkai, donation or vazhipadu

Author's Notes

Perinkulam - Thekke Gramam - 100 Agraharams Project

When I first went to the Gramam I found the Shiva Temple facing the vast pond strikingly traditional. However, to the south, the structure of the Thekke Gramam Navaneetha GopalaKrishna swamy is contemporary.

The website for the temples says thus:

"Legend says and it has been repeatedly mentioned in the ensuing devaprasnam to date, that the Perinkulam Sree Krishna temple was consecrated out of His divine intervention. A dream come true, a living embodiment of Krishna Consciousness, the divine and the devoted, a cause to spiritual enlightenment of His devotee.

About 600 odd years ago, the area around present day Perinkulam was a part of the forest that continued from Vizhumala to the Perinkulam pond and was infested with animals and snakes. Around this time, the Tamil Brahmin sects moved from areas like Chidambaram to Palakkad at the request of the then Palakkad kings. They are still known as ‘Pardesi Brahmins’.

It so happened that the area was duly given the ‘Methil veedu’ family after clearing the jungle and having a village set up there. The villagers built the village and along with it, had a space for a temple, as was the practice in those days.The temple was constructed with locally available materials but the wait was not over yet. It was in need of a deity befitting His grace.

In not so far away Ottapalam, Kerala, was a wealthy Namboothiri Illam who were self-sufficient in all ways. Adjacent to the Varikaasery mana was a Krishna temple whose form was that of Navaneetha Krishna. The temple is believed to be at least a thousand year’s old and the idol was in a disintegrating phase due to the ‘savages’ of time. The Illam patriarch (pramukh) decided to replace the temple idol and a new idol was bought in place for consecration. The night before the consecration, the illam pramukh has a dream, where Lord Krishan said, “will you throw away your child if he loses his hands and legs?”. He suddenly woke up with guilt and realized his folly. The next day, he informed his family about his dream and decided not to go ahead with the consecration.

Pleased with his actions,  but obviously confused with the desire to hold on to the new idol and at the same time not knowing what needs to be done, he prayed to the ‘all-knowing’ on what needs to be done with the new idol. He heard a voice that night, “ A group of pardesi Bramins will be arriving soon requesting for the new idol. You may hand over to them”

At the same time, the new inmates Perinkulam graamam had appointed a priest but the wait for Krishna to arrive ended with a dream a dream that night, “I will be waiting for you all, where I am residing as Navaneetha Krishna, holding butter in both hands with a smile, adjacent to an Illam on North west direction, a days travel,  where the Pramukha will be waiting for you. Come!”

Not believing himself, they immediately began to head to Varikkassery mana, and thus, came our Lord to us. A dreamer's delight indeed..!!"

Sri Shivam Perinkulam writes thus: "Opposite to Krishnaswamy temple, there lived a Pakku mama, whom I had met. His great grandfather, Bhaskar pattar also known as Soori, got the Chooriappan kulam dug, about a km away and on its bank, constructed a small shrine to install the Shiva Lingam and the idol of Visalakshi AmbAl.. He had brought the idols, on his return trip from Kasi. This shrine was later shifted to the present location on bank of Perinkulam pond for better proximity and safety. How much trouble he would have endured to bring the idols from the distant Kasi, carrying them on his head or shoulders, although his long walk , and also to dig a big pond and construct a shrine for them! An icon of dedication, devotion and determination."

We should be indebted to the forefathers of the agraharams for shaping us and giving us a springboard to experience our lives fully and consciously and offer us a chance to sever ourselves from the Karmic cycle, thus attaining Liberation.

Radhe Krishna

Sriram(Hari)

100-Agraharams Project

Rama Bhagavathar Charitable Trust

August 28, 2024