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Poornathrayeesa Temple
Photo: Rajesh Kakkanatt, courtesy Suresh Babu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Kerala

Poornathrayeesa Temple

Vishnu's Santhanagopala Murthy shrine in Tripunithura, Ernakulam district

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with 5 sources2 min read

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Getting there

  • By train

    Tripunithura railway station is on the Ernakulam to Kottayam route, and many passenger and express trains stop there.

  • By road

    The Ernakulam to Ettumanoor State Highway (SH 15) passes through Tripunithura.

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Rules to know

  • Court guidelines require a 3-metre distance between two elephants during festival parades.
  • A news report says this distance rule was broken during a parade.

Why devotees come here

Poornathrayeesa Temple in Tripunithura, Ernakulam district, is dedicated to Vishnu as Santhanagopala Murthy. It was the foremost of the eight royal temples of the Kingdom of Cochin, and it is counted among the most important temples in Kerala.

Legend says Vishnu gave the idol of Poornathrayeesa to Arjuna. Arjuna had asked Vishnu for help to give rebirth to the ten children of a Brahmin. The temple is considered one of the most important in Kerala. Every August and September, the Mooshari Utsavam honours the sculptor who made the idol.

The temple's largest festival is the eight-day Vrischikotsavam, held in Vrischikam (November to December). One news report said as many as 15 caparisoned elephants would be paraded on the festival days. On the fourth day, Thrikketta Purappadu, devotees make offerings in golden pots.

A major fire in 1920 was followed by a rebuilding of the temple. The new structure, designed by the architect Eachara Warrier, is made of concrete faced with copper, wood and granite. It is reported to be the first concrete temple structure in Kerala. The temple follows traditional Kerala temple architecture, and Tripunithura was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin.

Festivals

  • Vrischikam month, November to DecemberVrischikotsavam

    The temple's largest festival, eight days long, known for its elephant processions.

  • Fourth day of VrischikotsavamThrikketta Purappadu

    Devotees make their offerings in golden pots on this, the fourth day of the eight-day festival.

  • August to SeptemberMooshari Utsavam

    Held every year in August and September to honour the sculptor who moulded the idol of Poornathrayeesan.

Tips for your visit

  • Tripunithura is about 7 km from the city centre of Kochi.
  • To see the elephant processions, plan a visit for Vrischikam, the month of the temple's biggest festival.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Poornathrayeesa Temple is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Is Poornathrayeesa Temple in Kochi?

It is in Tripunithura, a town in Ernakulam district. Tripunithura was the capital of the former Kingdom of Cochin.

Are elephants part of the temple's festivals?

Yes. The eight-day Vrischikotsavam has elephant processions, and court guidelines require a 3-metre gap between two elephants during parades.

Was the temple ever damaged by fire?

Yes. A major fire in 1920 was followed by a rebuild. The new structure is concrete faced with copper, wood and granite.

Which railway station is in Tripunithura?

Tripunithura railway station, on the Ernakulam to Kottayam route. Many passenger and express trains stop there.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  2. Tripunithura, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Vault opened in keeping with hoary tradition, The Hindu thehindu.com
  4. Grand start to Vrischikolsavam today, New Indian Express newindianexpress.com
  5. Illegal parading of elephants at Poornathrayeesa temple, Onmanorama onmanorama.com

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