Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple
Aranmula, Pathanamthitta district, on the south bank of the Pamba river · Lord Krishna as Parthasarathy (Arjuna's charioteer), a six-foot standing four-armed image
Arjuna's Krishna temple on the Pamba – Divya Desam, keeper of Ayyappa's golden robe, and home of the Vallasadya feasts and the Uthrattathi snake-boat pageant.
Aranmula's temple stands on the south bank of the Pamba in Pathanamthitta district. Krishna here is Parthasarathy, the charioteer of Arjuna, in a standing four-armed image about six feet tall, said to be the tallest Krishna image in Kerala's temples. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams praised by the Alvars and one of the five Pandava temples of the region. Every monsoon-Onam season it hosts the Vallasadya, a 60-plus-dish feast for the rowers of its sacred snake boats (palliyodams), and the Uthrattathi boat pageant on the Pamba. The Thanka Anki, Ayyappa's golden attire, is kept here and taken to Sabarimala for the Mandala Pooja. Entry is for Hindus only.
Timings
- Morning: 4:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Evening: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Note: From Wikipedia; confirm locally. Hours change during the Vallasadya season and festivals.
Darshan types and costs
- General darshan – Free
Sevas and costs
- Vallasadya (sponsoring a feast) – Sponsorship cost not published – contact the Palliyoda Seva Sangham (Vallasadya season, about mid-July to mid-September (19 July – 16 September in 2026))
- Vallasadya special pass – ₹300 per person (2026) (Vallasadya season (from 20 July in 2026), midday)
- Ashtami Rohini Vallasadya – Not a paid vazhipadu (check locally) (Ashtami Rohini (Krishna's birthday), Chingam; 4 September in 2026)
- Thulabharam – Check at counter (During darshan hours)
- Annaprashanam (Choroonu) – Check at counter (Mornings)
- Online vazhipadu (TDB) – As shown on onlinetdb.com (On the chosen date)
How to book darshan
Darshan is free. Thulabharam and choroonu are done at the counter. Vallasadya sponsorship and passes are handled by the Palliyoda Seva Sangham, not the TDB. Other vazhipadu can be booked on onlinetdb.com.
Dress code
Kerala temple dress code. Men wear a mundu and remove shirts and vests. Women wear a saree, set-mundu, churidar with dupatta or a long skirt and blouse.
Best time to visit
Mid-July to mid-September for the Vallasadya and the Uthrattathi boat pageant (30 August in 2026). The ten-day utsavam from Atham to Thiruvonam in Makaram (Jan–Feb) and Khandavanadahanam in Dhanu (Dec–Jan) are other good times.
How to reach
- air: Thiruvananthapuram (about 115 km) or Cochin (about 125 km).
- rail: Chengannur station, about 10 km.
- road: About 14 km from Pathanamthitta and 10 km from Chengannur via Kozhencherry; KSRTC buses and KSRTC Panchapandava temple packages in season.
Festivals
- Uthrattathi Jalotsavam (boat race) – Uthrattathi star in Chingam (Aug–Sep); 30 August 2026
- Vallasadya season – About 19 July – 16 September (2026)
- Utsavam – Makaram (Jan–Feb), Atham to Thiruvonam
- Khandavanadahanam – Dhanu (Dec–Jan)
- Thanka Anki procession – Before Mandala Pooja (late December)