Thrikkakara Temple: Centre Of Contention Between Thrikkakara And Kalamassery Municipality (image:x.com/VarierSangitha)
Ernakulam, Kerala: Thrikkakara temple in Ernakulam is now at the centre of a delimitation disagreement. A conflict emerged between two municipalities – Thrikkakara and Kalamassery over the domicile of the famous temple. Currently, the temple is part of the Kalamassery municipality.
Thrikkakara Paithruka Samrakshana Vedhi (Thrikkakara Heritage Protection Committee) a people’s forum for cultural conservation, has been fighting since 2009 to relocate the temple from Kalamassery municipality and bring the temple under the Thrikkakara municipal area.
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“Thrikkakara is closely connected to the temple, and the many myths related to Onam. It’s believed the place was originally called Thrikkalkara and was later changed to Thrikkakara. The name is derived from the legend that Lord Vishnu in his Vamana avatar set foot here to visit Mahabali, the region’s former king, and consigned him to the underworld,” Paul Mecheril, Paithruka Samrakshana Samithi chief told the New Indian Express.
Originally located in the Thrikkakara municipality, the temple had brought under the Kalamassery municipality during the previous delimitation process, Mecheril added.
As per Kerala Municipality Act, the boundaries of a municipality cannot be revised while an elected council still in power. This activity can only be considered at the end of the ruling council’s tenure. Hence, the Forum’s earlier requests to authorities for redrawing boundaries was not considered. Their recent appeal is significant as process for reconfiguring boundaries of local bodies in the Kerala had started ahead of the elections for local government polls in early 2025. .
Recently, Thrikkakara municipality wrote to the Kerala government urging that the temple be brought under its jurisdiction. Though the local self-government department (LSGD) initiated the matter with the Kalamassery municipality, the latter rejected it. Staying resolute, Thrikkakara municipality had also issued the primary notification for including the temple under its area.
Meanwhile, the Kalamassery municipality dispel’s Thrikkakara municipal council’s decision. “We have already passed a unanimous resolution to retain the temple. There is no question of parting with it,” Kalamassery municipal chairperson Seema Kannan told the Hindu.
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Paul Mecheril is planning to write to the Delimitation Commission along with the resolution passed by the Thrikkakara municipality. If it fails, he is steadfast to approach the Kerala High Court and even take up the issue in the Spreme Court referring it as “a matter of heritage” of Thrikkakara and its people.
One of the few temples to be dedicated to Lord Vamana, the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Thrikkakara is connected to several myths related to Onam. The annual festival at the temple starts on the day of “Atham” and concludes on the tenth day of “Thiruvonam” with special pooja and a grand Onam feast called Onasadya.
