Triprayar Temple, located in Thrissur district is one of the important temples dedicated to Lord Rama. It is located in-between Kodungallor and Guruvayur.
The elders believe that the idol of Triprayar Thevar was worshipped by Lord Sri Krishna at Dwaraka. Some elders say that in olden days the river was in the western side of the temple and it turned to flow through the other side later. This may be the reason for calling it ‘Thiruppurayar’. The devotee who wrote a book about this place stated that ‘Thrippadayar’ had become Triprayar. In literature t
he reference on Triprayar is in ‘Kokasandesam’ written by an unknown poet of the fourteenth century. During the explanation of the route to Kollam from Tripprankode, this place and temple is referred as follows:
“The river, there are lotuses and beetles,
It is this beautiful river, Nanthiyar
If we cross this river, we can see
The place Purayar, the place of killer of Kamsa”
From this poem we can understand that the name of Triprayar was Purayar. The name of the river is given as Nanthiyar. As there was a temple of Sree Rama, the term Thiru could have been added as a mark of respect. ‘Pura’ might have been changed to ‘Pra’ because of the influence of Sanskrit. ‘Thiru’ became ‘Tri’ as per the ‘Sandhi’ rules. Thus the word Thiruppurayar got changed as Triprayar.
‘Chenthamaramalar chuvanthiyam Nanthiyaru’
(Nanthiyar, which is filled with lotuses, is compared with the red coloured evening). Such a reference is found in Kokasandesam. But from these references we have not got Kokasandesam. But from these references we have not got any historical facts about the temple. There is a reference in the Peruvanam Grandhavari (a statement written in an ancient palm leaf) about the starting of Arattupuzha pooram, which is a conference of Devis and Sasthas and in which the Triprayar Thevar is presiding. The reference is given as ‘Ayathu Sivalokam’. This is a code word used for the Kalai year 3684; the month Meenam and date 7. From this we can understand that the Arattupuzha pooram started in the Malayalam year 1413 prior to 1170, Meenam month. We also know that the temple would have been there even before the beginning of the festival. The inquiry about this Arattupuzha pooram would be interesting. In this festival Devis and Sasthas are the only ones participating besides Triprayar Thevar.
