Thiruvallavazh

Thiruvallavazh is traditionally enumerated as number 90 among the 108 Divya Desams — the sacred abodes of Sri Maha Vishnu sung by the Alvars.

This divya desa is popularly known as Vallaba kshetra. This temple is about three miles away from the Tiruvalla railway station on the Kollam-Emakulam rail line. The moolavar is known as Kolapiran as also Tiruvazhmarban and Sri Vallabha. He is seen in a standing posture facing east. The consort is known as Selva Thirukozhundhu Nachiyar as also Vatsalya devi. God gave darshal to Gantakarna. The theertha here is known as Gantakarna theertha as also Pampa river. The vimana is known as Saturanga kola vimana.

Thiruvalla, Chengannoor and Aranmula were the three most important places in the mid Travancore area. It is generally believed that the place got its name Thiruvalla in honour of Sri Vallabha, the presiding deity of Vishnu temple in the area. This town was a great centre of learning. It was once a strong pole of the nambudiris, the priestly class in Kerala. The Tiruvalla copper plates have a worth of material relating to the history of this town. Apparently, in the early days there were several upagramas 1.e. subordinate villages attached to Thiruvalla. Vellappalli in the north was an upagrama under Thiruvalla and in the south Thirupparappuram (the Kanyakumari district of present Tamilnadu) was also one of the upagramas. Dandin, the great Sanskrit poet who lived in Kanchipuram in the 7th centyry also has praised the vaishna brahmins of Thiruvalla which only means that the culture of Thiruvalla was wellknown even long before the 7th century A.D. Historians say that the brahmins established themselves in Kerala in 64 villages and Thiruvalla happens to be one of those 64 villages. Thiruvalla was also famous during the Chera times. It was a city of learning as it had a number of Salas i.e. schoo of learning ror vedantha in particular. These cities of learning were popularly known as Thiruvalla salas. Today Thiruvalla has become cosmopolitan in its outlook. It is one of the important commercial towns of Kerala witha sizable Christian population.

The Thiruvalla plates describe in detail the manner in which the temple was administered in those days. The rituals of the temple, the properties of the temple, the endowments made by