Ooramana Narasimha Murti temple is located at Ooramana in Ernakulam district, Kerala. The temple is also known as Perumthrikkovil temple. There are two deities in the temple – Narasimha and Sastha. A ferocious form of Narasimha murthy is worshipped in the temple.
The murti worshipped in Ooramana Narasimha temple is believed to have been consecrated by Parashurama. The prathishta in the vatta sreekovil is made from Anjana Shila. The murti is tied using panchaloham. There are no upa devatas in the temple. But presence of Dikpalakas and Saptamatrikas are found on the Balikalu in the temple.
The roof of Balikkal Pura and Namaskara mandapam has beautiful sculptures. The vatta sreekovil (round sanctum sanctorum) of the temple is filled with mural paintings. The paintings are that of Rama Ravana battle, Kirata Arjuna yuddham, Gajendra Moksham, Dakshinamurti, Narasimha Avataram, Rasa leela and Ganapathi. Trivikrama Vamana murti which is a very rare mural painting is found here. The mural paintings are believed to be more than 300 years old.
There is a popular legend that once a poor man who had begged for food was denied the families in the region. The poor man finally reached the Ooramana Narasimha Murti temple and here he was given food by an unusually huge man. The huge man asked the poor man to go and sleep in the gopuram. He asked the man not to move from his place if notices anything unusual. When the poor man woke up next day morning, all the houses of the families that denied food to the poor man was burned down. It is said that there were 72 Brahmin families in the region who maintained the temple but currently there are only 3 families left. The disappearance of these uzhanma families is answered through the story.
The annual festival in the temple begins on Chothi nakshatra day and concludes on Thiruvonam nakshatra in Meenam month with arattu.
The Sastha temple is on the banks of Muvattupuzha River and is down from the Ooramana Narasimha Murti temple.
Legend has it that a Brahmin from Ooramana was an ardent devotee of Chamravattom Sastha. He used to stay in the place and study Vedas. In due course of time he had to take up family responsibilities and was forced to go back to Ooramana. When the Brahmin cried before Chamravattom Sastha about his inability to continue worship, he a dream at that night and he was asked to carry a ‘Shila’ or ‘granite stone’ from the Chamravattom Sastha temple to Ooramana. The present Sastha temple is located on the spot where the Brahmin had consecrated the Shila.
Muvattupuzha takes two turns where the Sastha temple is located. The local belief is that Sastha turned the river twice to create a spot for him to reside. During rainy season, the river enters the temple and performs natural arattu.
There are so many stories related to Sastha temple and Ooramana Narasimha temple. Once such story states about Viddi Varppu (വിഡ്ഢി വാർപ്പ് ). It is said that a contract was reached between Sastha and Narasimha regarding the division of offerings. Narasimha murti was not ready to share chathushatham. The varpu or vessel for carrying chathushatham is slightly titled. So Sastha always gets less than half of the offering.
Thiruvonam nakshatra day in all Malayalam months is of great importance in the Narasimha temple. Uthram nakshatra in all Malayalam month is of importance in Sastha temple.
When the river overflows into Sastha temple, the thidambu of Sastha is brought to Narasimha temple and puja is performed. Narukkila naivedyam is offered on the occasion on the swayambhu prathisha of sastha by reaching the spot on a boat.