Kalluthipara Srikrishna Temple

About this place

Kalluthipara Temple, also called Kalluthippara Sree Krishna Temple, stands at Kandanassery on the Nambazikkad Road near Guruvayur in Thrissur district, Kerala 680102. The name means footprint rock. Kalluthi is a footprint and para is the rock. Devotees come for Lord Krishna, worshipped here in the form associated with Guruvayurappan, and for a mark on the stone that local faith takes as his footprint.

The temple sits low, in the hollow between large rocks. The main shrine is Lord Krishna. Beside it are shrines for Bhagavathi, Ayyappan, Ganapathi, and Murugan, so one visit covers the Krishna sannidhi and these neighbouring deities. Daily pooja is held in the morning and in the evening.

The feature people ask to see is the footprint on the rock above the shrine. A full foot-shaped mark is pointed out there, and devotees regard it as the footprint of Guruvayurappan, with the belief that he came to this place. Near it, another mark is described as looking like a coil of rope. Age has softened the lines, so the carving is easier to follow with a priest or a local devotee. Padapooja, worship of the footprint, is conducted on the first day of every Malayalam month.

On the rock above the temple is a small pond. It looks shallow from the edge. Older local accounts say the water is about the depth of four men and that it holds through the hardest summer. The same accounts say that in seasons when the sea had a heavy catch, sea fish were sometimes seen in this rock pond. The pond is part of the visit. Bathing or stepping in should follow whatever the temple allows that day.

Local memory says the shrine was among those destroyed during Tipu Sultan’s campaign. The sculptures and stone figures then lay under wild growth, and the place was spoken of as shelter for wild animals and snakes. The temple seen today was brought back in recent years and is maintained for daily worship.

A timetable published for the temple gives nada thurakkal at 5:15 a.m., nirmalyam at 5:30 a.m., abhishekam at 6:00 a.m., and usha pooja at 8:30 a.m., with closing at 9:30 a.m. It reopens at 5:30 p.m., with deeparadhana at 6:15 p.m. and nivedyam at 6:30 p.m., and closes at 7:00 p.m. Confirm these hours at the temple, because festival days can change the clock.

Offerings listed for Kalluthipara include palpayasam, sharkara payasam, venna nivedyam, kalabham, niramala, pushpanjali, choroonu, and Vidya Gopala mantra archana, along with Bhagavathi seva and Ganapathi homam. Choroonu is the child’s first-rice ceremony. Vidya Gopala archana is offered for education. Current rates and booking should be checked with the temple before the day of the offering.

April brings a pooram in the locality, and days linked with Krishna are observed with special importance. The first of each Malayalam month remains the regular day for padapooja.

The drive from Guruvayur Temple is about 9.3 km and about 20 minutes, through village roads and paddy fields to Kandanassery. Many devotees add Kalluthipara to a Guruvayur darshan. Guruvayur Railway Station serves the town, and Cochin International Airport is the airport for this part of Thrissur. Follow the dress rule posted at the gate. Rocks can be damp in the monsoon, so walk slowly on the stone.

Kalluthipara Temple can be described as a rock-set Krishna temple near Guruvayur, known for the footprint on the stone, the rock pond, monthly padapooja, and shrines of Bhagavathi, Ayyappan, Ganapathi, and Murugan.

🚉 Nearest Railway: Guruvayur Railway Station (the temple is about 9.3 km from Guruvayur; confirm the drive from the station)

✈️ Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport (confirm the drive from Kandanassery)

🚌 Nearest Bus: Buses toward Kandanassery and Guruvayur on the Nambazikkad Road (confirm the nearest halt with the driver)

🏨 Nearest Stay: Mayura Residency (West Nada), Nidhi Residency (East Nada), and Anandkrishna Residency (North Nada), Guruvayur, about 9 km and 20 minutes from the temple. Confirm rooms and the drive.

✅ Notes: Lord Krishna is the presiding deity, with Bhagavathi, Ayyappan, Ganapathi, and Murugan beside the main shrine. Padapooja is on the first day of every Malayalam month. Confirm hours, dress, and offerings at the temple.