Why famed Thrikkakara temple in Kerala has become a bone of contention between two municipalities

Thrikkakara temple ownership dispute between Thrikkakara and Kalamassery municipalities in Kerala, involving historical and political implications.

Though the next Onam is nearly a year away, the Thrikkakara temple, which is at the heart of the festival’s traditions and one of the few temples to be dedicated to Lord Vamana, has emerged as a bone of contention between two neighbouring municipalities – Thrikkakara and Kalamassery.

Incidentally, both the municipalities are being governed by the United Democratic Front (UDF). But that has not stopped a tug of war of sorts between the two local bodies over the domicile of the famed Thrikkakara temple in Ernakulam district of Kerala. As things stand, the temple is part of the Kalamassery municipality.

Recently, the Thrikkakara municipality wrote to the Kerala government requesting that the temple be brought within its limits. The Local Self-Government department took up the matter with the Kalamassery municipality, which turned it down categorically. Undeterred, the Thrikkakara municipality, as recent as this week, adopted a resolution to that effect.

“The temple was part of Thrikkakara when it was still a grama panchayat and the place even owed its name to the lore related to the temple. It was assured that the temple will be brought within our limits during the next delimitation exercise, which is now under way. We are set to write to the Delimitation Commission pointing out these facts,” said Radhamani Pillai, Thrikkakara municipal chairperson.

However, the Kalamassery municipality was dismissive of the Thrikkakara municipal council’s decision. “We have already passed a unanimous resolution to retain the temple. There is no question of parting with it,” said Kalamassery municipal chairperson Seema Kannan.

Thrikkakara Paithruka Samrakshana Vedhi, which has been at the forefront to bring back the temple within the Thrikkakara municipal limits since 2009, said that making the temple part of the Kalamassery municipality seems to have been done with an “ulterior motive” since it appears “even a geographical absurdity.”

“During a hearing held in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss the matter in 2011, the then Thrikkakara grama panchayat president and representatives did not turn up, thus making the Kalamassery municipality’s claim over the temple a fait accompli,” said Paul Mecheril, president of the Vedhi.