The Deities

The main deity at Thiruvambady is Unnikrishna (Lord Krishna in infant form). Goddess Bhagavathy is consecrated in a shrine just on the left of Lord Krishna and worshipped with equal ardour.

Lord Ganesha, Dharmasastha and the founders of the temple are worshipped in separate shrines outside the Nalambalam.

Deities known by Dravidian names - Kukshi Ayyapa, Manikanda, Ghandakarna, Raktheswari and Bhairava are also enshrined here, just outside the walls of the temple.

Advent of Krishna:

The idol of Krishna, now worshipped here, was originally the Parthasarathy idol in a temple at Edakkalathur, a sleepy hamlet, about 15km from Thrissur. The temple had the same name – Thiruvambady – and there were many shrines too, for Bhagavathy, Sastha etc. Some four centuries ago, when life and property in the village were threatened by communal conflagration, some villagers under the cover of darkness, surreptitiously carried the idol to Thrissur and entrusted the same to a pious Namboodiri couple at Kachanappilly Illam, 200mtrs from the present Thiruvambady temple. The childless couple considered it a blessing in disguise from the Almighty and as they fostered the idol for worship, they felt it was their own unborn child. The benevolent Lord who appears before a devotee in the form he wants, opted to cast aside Partha Sarathy’s whip and to pick up the flute in one hand and extended the other to receive the butter of devotion from the ‘foster parents’. A small temple in the form of a ‘sala’ was erected 200mtrs, South of Kachanappally Illam and ‘Unnikrishna’ was enshrined.

Bhagavathy:

The saga of Devi is no less enchanting. The Kachanappally couples were ardent devotees of Kodungallur Devi and the male used to foot a distance of 40km, up and down, every month, to have a darshan of the Devi at Kodungallur. With the passage of time and deteriorating health conditions, per force, he had to bid farewell to the Deity and plod homeward with a broken heart. However, just like a human mother, the Devi could not bear the pangs of separation from her dedicated devotee; her ‘Chaitanya’ followed the Bhaktha to his abode and consequently got enshrined on a granite pillar in the central courtyard within the Nalukettu. It is this consecrated pillar with the Devi ‘Chaitanya’ which is installed in the Sanctum to the left of Unnikrishna and worshipped as the compassionate Balabhadrakali (Kali as a child).

The aura of the divine duo-Unni and Devi – makes Thiruvambady a spiritual beacon of beatitude, like Brindavan, providing solace and succour to thousands of devotees from far and near.

The poojas and other thanthric rites are performed, as envisaged in Thanthra samuchaya, with meticulous care, and this has upgraded the small temple qualitatively to the stature of a Mahakshethra.

The current managing committee of the Thiruvambadi Devaswom Board had taken charge on the 25th of September 2022. We are carrying out this very responsible task with much pleasure and pride.

Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala. The role of Thiruvambadi Devaswom and the inhabitants of Thiruvambadi Thattaka is big in the cultural history of Thrissur. The importance of Thiruvambadi Devaswom in the cultural background of Thrissur Pooram is also very obvious. We make special efforts in the co-ordination of the festival, and the Pooram has even received accolades from important organizations like the UNESCO.

Thiruvambadi Devaswom is seeking co-operation and assistance from all quarters, cultural, official and spiritual. The co-operation of the print, visual and audio media is also requested for conveying the charm and importance of the world famous Thrissur Pooram to the entire world. The current board of Thiruvambady commitee members and I, the newly elected President of Thiruvambady Devaswom, promise our help and support in all matters. Your co-operation and care is also specially requested.

We are enclosing a brochure on the details of the Thrissur Pooram , for your kind reference.

Moreover, Due to the heavy onslaught of COVID over a period of more than 2 years, our temple has come into much difficulty financially and is in a state of crisis. Only with the support and cooperation of the owners of successful business enterprises like yourselves, can we reinstate the temple to a smooth state of affairs.

Demise of our Beloved Elephants




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  Sivasundar

  Sivasundar One of the Legendary elephant of Thiruvambadi Devaswom .It was known as King of Beauty (Azhakinthe Thampuran) and It had been carrying the idol of Thiruvambadi temple for the past 15 years for the Pooram.
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  Gaja Shreshta

  Unnikrishnan 5 tuskers by names SIVASUNDAR, CHANRASEKHARAN, RAMABHADRAN, UNNIKRISHNAN, ARJUN & one she- elephant named LAKSHMI.
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  Gaja Raja Manikyam

  Ramabhadran It was a 20 nailed tusker, bought using devotees' contributions; it was named Govindankutty.