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Pancha Pandava Temples Tour
Five Vishnu temples around Chengannur, each linked by tradition to one of the Pandava brothers and each a Divya Desam. One day by road.
- Kerala
- Suitable for 1–2 Days
- Divya Desams
- From Chengannur
About Pancha Pandava Temples Tour
Five Vishnu temples around Chengannur in central Kerala, each linked by tradition to one of the five Pandava brothers and each counted among the 108 Divya Desams. They lie close enough to visit in one day.
By tradition Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva each worshipped Vishnu at one of these temples in central Kerala. Four are close to Chengannur and the fifth is near Changanassery. Pilgrims often visit all five in one day; with the drive from Kochi, two days are easier.
Temples on this Tour (5)
- 1
View DetailsThrichittatt Mahavishnu Temple
Yudhishthira
Chengannur
Thrichittatt in Chengannur.
- 2
View DetailsThiruppuliyur Mahavishnu Temple
Bhima
Puliyur
Thiruppuliyur.
- 3View Details
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple
Arjuna
Aranmula
Aranmula, home of the boat race and the Vallasadya feast.
- 4
View DetailsThiruvanvandoor Mahavishnu Temple
Nakula
Thiruvanvandoor
Thiruvanvandoor.
- 5
View DetailsThrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple
Sahadeva
Changanassery
Thrikodithanam near Changanassery.
Route Map
Tour Highlights
- Aranmula
- Thrichittatt
- Thiruvanvandoor
- Thrikodithanam
1-Day Route from Chengannur
Every night in Chengannur. Allow 1 day for the 5 temples, or 2 for a slower family pace. Add your travel to and from Chengannur separately.
Day 1
- Thrichittatt Mahavishnu TempleYudhishthiraHours not confirmed
- Thiruppuliyur Mahavishnu TempleBhimaHours not confirmed
- Aranmula Parthasarathy TempleArjunaOpen 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with breaks
- Thiruvanvandoor Mahavishnu TempleNakulaHours not confirmed
- Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu TempleSahadevaOpen 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM, with breaks
By a custom described in Malayala Manorama, darshan starts at Thrichittatt and follows the brothers from the eldest to the youngest, ending at Thrikodithanam. No temple board sets the order.
Customs, rules and beliefs
- Good to knowKerala's state bus corporation has run a budget Mahabharata package to the five Pandava temples, with the Aranmula Vallasadya in season; check whether it still runs.
Sources: onmanorama.com · checked 23 Oct 2026
Optional stops nearby
Bird sanctuaries, dams, parks and falls near this tour's temples. They are optional: the route and cost above do not include them. Distances are straight-line from the nearest temple.
- Bird sanctuaryKumarakom Bird SanctuaryAbout 24 km from Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple
A 14-acre wooded sanctuary on the shore of Vembanad Lake, run by the state tourism corporation. Herons, egrets, cormorants and kingfishers nest here, and migrants arrive in winter.
- Hours
- 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM, all days
- Entry
- Adults Rs 100, children Rs 50 (tickets at the counter only)
- Best season
- November to February for migratory birds; June to August for nesting of resident water birds.
- Closed
- The sanctuary was being renovated in 2026, with completion expected around September 2026 per a local news report; no official reopening notice was found, so confirm before going.
- For families
- A trail of about 2 km runs through the wooded sanctuary.
- LakeAlappuzha backwaters and Vembanad LakeAbout 26 km from Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple
A network of canals and lagoons joining Vembanad, Kerala's largest lake, seen from houseboats, motor boats or government ferries. Pathiramanal, a bird island in the lake, is reached only by boat.
- For families
- Government-run passenger boats are another way to see the backwaters besides houseboats. Pathiramanal island is open 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Sources: dtpckottayam.com, dtpcalappuzha.com · checked 23 Oct 2026
Getting to Chengannur
Kochi is about 125 km from Chengannur, where the round starts, and about 105 km from Thrikodithanam, where it ends, so one return ticket covers both ends. Malayala Manorama reports that the round starts at Thrichittatt and ends at Thrikodithanam, and that finishing all five before the noon puja is held to be especially meritorious; the drive between the temples is under an hour, so stay overnight in Chengannur to start at dawn. Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), about 115 km from Chengannur, is the alternative for travellers coming from the south.
By air
- Cochin International Airport (COK)about 125 km, about 2 hr 30 min to 3 hr by road to Chengannur; about 2 hr 15 min from Thrikodithanam back to the airport
- Trivandrum International Airport (TRV)about 115 km, about 2 hr 30 min to 3 hr by road
By train
- Chengannur (CNGR)The railhead for the first four temples: Thrichittatt is about 2 km from the town on the Thiruvalla road, Puliyoor 4.5 km on the Mavelikara road and Aranmula 11 km on the Kozhencherry road, per Malayala Manorama. 42 trains listed from Thiruvananthapuram Central (about 1 hr 40 min to 2 hr 20 min) and 57 from Ernakulam (about 1 hr 30 min).
- Changanassery (CGY)The railhead for Thrikodithanam, about 3 km out on the Changanassery to Mallappally road per Malayala Manorama (OSRM: 2.7 km from the station). 42 trains listed from Ernakulam (most about 1 hr 10 min to 1 hr 40 min; fastest 17041 in about 1 hr 9 min) and 28 from Thiruvananthapuram Central (about 2 hr 13 min to 2 hr 51 min).
By road
- Kochi airport to Chengannurabout 125 km, about 2 hr 30 min to 3 hr
- Thrichittatt to Puliyoorabout 5 km, about 10 min
- Puliyoor to Aranmulaabout 14 km, about 25 to 30 min
- Aranmula to Thiruvanvandoorabout 16 km, about 25 to 30 min
- Thiruvanvandoor to Changanasseryabout 14 km, about 25 min
- Thrikodithanam to Kochiabout 106 km, about 2 hr 15 min to 2 hr 45 min
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, erail.in, erail.in, router.project-osrm.org, router.project-osrm.org, router.project-osrm.org, router.project-osrm.org, router.project-osrm.org · checked 22 Oct 2026
Questions Visitors Ask
Why are these called the Pancha Pandava temples?
By tradition each of the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata installed or worshipped at one of them. All five are also Divya Desams.
Where should we stay?
Chengannur is the most central base. Four of the temples are near it, and Thrikodithanam is near Changanassery to the north.
Plan this Tour
Create your personalized pilgrimage journey
Estimated Trip Cost
₹ 62,996
for 4 people (1 Day)
≈ ₹ 15,749 per person for the trip
- Return flights · published fare example₹57,296Chennai ↔ Kochi: ₹7162 + ₹7162. Airline examples checked 2026-10-19 × 4 people. Economy; not a live fare for your dates. Rate source
- 1 × AC sedan with driver₹4,1001 × (250 billed km × ₹14 + 1 days × ₹600 driver). Up to 4 passengers per vehicle, driver separate. AC; fuel budgeted within the per-km hire, inclusions to confirm. Minimum 250 km/day; route 234 km. Chennai operator example; pickup in your region to confirm. Rate source
- 0 nights · 2 rooms₹00 nights × 2 rooms × ₹2,305/night. Two people per room, rounded up. Hotel Raya’s Standard AC, Kumbakonam published reference including tax; availability elsewhere to confirm. Rate source
- Simple local meals · all travellers₹1,6001 days × 4 people × ₹400/day. Planning allowance.
- Tolls, parking and personal spending
- Home/station transfers, travel-day meals and extra nights
- Permits, garage/pickup kilometres, driver accommodation and operator taxes, if charged
Assumptions & what changes this estimate
References checked 19 October 2026. Rooms use the linked hotel’s published examples. Meals, fuel, bus and train are budgeting allowances. Bus/train costs use approximate distance, not ticket searches or confirmed classes. Flight examples are economy fares; Luxury upgrades your stay and local vehicle, not your flight cabin. Cab and rental examples need confirmation for your arrival region.
Basic sets rooms, meals and hired vehicle class. Own-vehicle fuel and economy return fares do not change with the stay tier. Dates do not fetch live prices.
Hotel references are Kumbakonam examples, including the published tax, used as a budget across the trip. They are not confirmed rooms in every town. Meals and fuel are planning allowances. All travellers use the same allowance; no child discount is assumed.
Cab minimums and room sharing mean some changes can leave a line unchanged. Travel quotes entered by you are fixed group totals. Prices and availability must be confirmed before booking.