Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple

On the Pamba, a Divya Desam honoured with a grand snake-boat regatta.

On the bank of the Pamba river at Aranmula in Kerala stands the Parthasarathy temple, one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the Alvar saints, where Vishnu is worshipped as Parthasarathy — Krishna, the charioteer of Arjuna. Ancient and richly traditional, the temple is famed for the Aranmula Uthrittathi Vallamkali, the grand snake-boat regatta held on the Pamba in its honour, and for the rare Aranmula Kannadi, the polished metal mirror crafted only in this town.

A cherished Vaishnava shrine set amid the green of central Kerala, Aranmula draws pilgrims to the Lord who guided Arjuna, and is among the most culturally rich of Kerala's temples.

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✦ Divya Desam10 shrines listed in this sacred circuit Vishnu temples57 temples in the directory Temples in Kerala12 temples in the directory All temples304 temples in the directory

Part of a sacred circuit

The Divya Desam

The Divya Desams are the abodes of Vishnu praised in the songs of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, whose four thousand Tamil verses are gathered as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.

Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

A Divya Desam where Vishnu reclines on Adisesha, beheld through three doors.

Thrikkakara Vamanamoorthy Temple

Thrikkakara (Kochi), Kerala

Where Vamana grew to Trivikrama and spanned the worlds, the heart of Onam.

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath, Uttarakhand

The northern Char Dham, where Lakshmi sheltered Vishnu as a badari tree.

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