Uruli Shree Krishna Temple in Thiruvarppu village in Kottayam District in Kerala is unique in many aspects. One of the most striking aspects in Thiruvarppu Sri Krishna Temple is that the priest carries an axe with him while going to open the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Story Why Chief Priest Carries An Axe
The murti of Bhagavan Krishna worshipped in the Thiruvarppu temple is that of hungry Krishna, who was tired and exhausted after annihilating demon Kansa. So in this temple food is offered to Krishna first in the morning before all pujas and rituals.
Krishna cannot tolerate hunger and so if there is any delay in opening the door of the sanctum sanctorum with the key or if the key is misplaced or if there is some problem with the lock, the chief priest is allowed to break open the door with an axe. Therefore the chief priest carries an axe when going to open the door the main sanctum sanctorum in the temple.
Some of the mouth water delicacies offered in the temple are usha payasam, paal payasam, ghee payasam, appam and chathura chathadam.