Located about 3 km from the
Thiruvalla Railway Station, Shri Vallabha Temple is one among the eleven Divya Desam temples of
Kerala. The presiding deity is Lord
Vishnu referred as Vallabha Swamy or Kolappiraan. The deity is pictured as bearing a conch (shanghu), a discus(chakra) and a lotus. The pedestal and the temple walls are constructed using granite stones. Rest of the structure is made up of timber and sheet roof.
The temple architecture, dating back to the 14th century, includes the circular vimana, a namaskaramandapam, a Mukhamandapam, a gopuradwaram and an agramandapam. Facing south, in the north east corner of the inner prakaram is the subshrine to Vishwaksena. Shri Vallabha, a form of Lord Vishnu, is the main deity.
Dakshinamurthy and Shiva – Yogishwara carvings are seen in the temple. The Sudarshana Chakra is believed to have been installed during the 13th century. An idol of Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, in a single piece of granite pillar, which stands in front of the temple, is another attraction. The pillar 50 ft tall, serves as a flagstaff. There is a large tank near the temple which is believed to have formed naturally.
The prasad offered in the Vallabha shrine is sandalwood paste. Vibhooti or the sacred ash is offered as prasad at the Chakra sign on the other side of the sanctum. The traditional art form Kathakali is performed here as a ritual offering almost all nights. The temple has separate place for
Thiruppaan Alwar where women are not allowed to enter.
Annually two festivals are held, one in February - March and another in March - April. The Uthra Seeveli festival is celebrated on the Makayiram asterism in
Meenam (March - April). At this time, the images of Bhagavati from the Kavil, Padappaad and Alamthurathu temples are brought in through the northern entrance of the temple. The main feature is that the northern entrance is opened only during this time.
