Sree Navaneetha Gopalakrishna Swamy Temple, Perinkulam
Perinkulam Navaneetha GopalaKrishna swamy temple is an old one having a legacy believed to be of 600 years, constructed according to the Kerala temple architecture. The temple is owned and managed by Perinkulam Grama Jana Samooham and the rituals are performed as per “Agama Shaasthra Vidhi”.
Legend says and it has been repeatedly mentioned in the ensuing devaprashnams 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 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 Varrikassery mana, and thus, came our Lord to us. A dreamers delight indeed..!!