Chelamattam, a sleepy village near Perumbavoor on the bank of Periyar (where it flows from west to east) in Kunnathunadu taluk, Ernakulam District, is blessed with three ‘avatars’ of Lord Mahavishnu – Lord Krishna, Lord Narasimha, and Lord Vamana.
Legend has it that the first simple shrine with Lord Vamanamurthy as the presiding deity came into being on the north-east side of the present temple complex; then came Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar, the household deity of Thottamattam Mana, followed by the holy arrival of Lord Krishna.
According to historical accounts, the ancient Brahmin household of Veliyamkol Mana played a crucial role in the establishment of this shrine. Originally, they worshipped a “Swayambhu” (self-originated) idol of Shiva, known as ‘Anthimahakalades,’ on the banks of the Periyar River. During a flood, a chest was seen floating near the shrine. It was first noticed by the female members of the Pullaya community on the opposite bank of the river, but were unable to retrieve it.
The Brahmin patriarch of Veliyamkol Mana then arrived and effortlessly retrieved the chest from the river, which contained a sacred idol of Lord Krishna. The sight of the idol when the chest was opened was described as divine and extraordinary. The pious Brahmin took the chest back to his Mana, where he worshipped the idol. Eventually, he enshrined it with great ceremony in a temporary Sreekovil built on his property.
As time passed, a permanent shrine was constructed at Chelamattam according to religious prescriptions and astrological forecasts. The grand idol of Lord Krishna was re-enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum, situated alongside the deity of Lord Narasimha. Continuous worship and rituals have been maintained ever since.
In a gesture of goodwill, more than two acres of land were allocated to the Pullaya families who had first seen the chest, to be used as their burial grounds. Each year, during the Malayalam month of Kumbhom, on the day of the star Thiruvonam, the festival of ‘Arrattu’ is celebrated. The preceding day features the Valiya Villakku, a grand event where the idol is paraded on an elephant to the original site where it was temporarily enshrined, with elaborate rituals and Poojas performed.
Initially, nine measures of rice were cooked as an offering to the deity, with a small portion used for Shiva and the remainder given to the Pulaya families as their right. This rice is preserved in powdered form and is still believed to have remarkable medicinal properties for curing various ailments
