Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple

The history says that Lord Krishna, once, appeared in the form of a sage in the court of the King who ruled the region, challenging him to win the game of chess competing with him. Being the chess enthusiast, the King gladly accepted the invitation. The King asked the sage to chose the prize. The sage, being a modest man, wished for a few grains of rice. The grains were placed in the squares in the chess board, each. Every square will have double of its predecessor. The King lost, needless to say. As he started adding the grains to the board, the King realized the humble sage’s demand was not as humble as he thought it would be. At the end, the number had reached one million. The Royal Granary ran out of rice. The prize reached trillions of tons of rice. Upon seeing the dilemma, the sage revealed his true form. He also told the King that he did not have to pay the debt immediately but over time. The King had to serve Paalpayasam freely to the pilgrims until the debt was paid off.