History

Palluruthy Sree Dhanwanthari Temple Palluruthy, Kochi, Kerala, India. Sree Dhanwanthari Temple at Palluruthy, Kochi, is one of the oldest temples in Kerala dedicated to Lord Dhanwanthari, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as ‘Ayurveda Moorthi’, also known as the Physician of Gods. The temple has a Rajagopuram with the presiding deity Lord Dhanwanthari and the deities of Lord Vigneswara, Mahalakshmi, Anjaneya and Garuda, along with Dwarapalakaas. The twelve pillars of Nada Pandhal adjacent to the Rajagopuram have Dashavatharams along with deities of Lord Vittal and Rukmini. The garbha-griha is square in shape showing the Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture.
The idol of the Lord Dhanwanthari in this temple is a foot and seven and a half inches in height. It is of Krishna Sila. The Lord wears a Veshti which has graceful folds and the central folds fall neatly between the legs which wears anklets and kankana. In the right upper hand the Lord Dhanwanthari holds Chakra (Wheel) and in the upper left hand holds Shankha (Counch). In the lower right hand a Leach is firmly held in between the index finger and the thumb and the other fingers stand upright showing the Abhaya pose. In the left lower hand the Lord holds a pot with nectar that is ‘Amrita’. The idol stands on an inverted Lotus pedestal. It wears Bhuja Kireetas (on shoulders) and a well ornamented Kireeta Makuta (the crown) which is supremely graceful.