Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna temple is located at Kumbala Village in Kasaragod district, Kerala. Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna temple festival 2022 date is January 14 to January 18. The five-day annual festival begins on Makar Sankranti day.
The highlight of the festival is fireworks which last for more than half an hour. The utsava murti sits under a banyan tree to watch the fireworks popularly known as Kumble Bedi.
The priest of the temple moves around the shrine during the festival with the murti on his head. He walks around the temple with the accompaniment of temple music like chenda melam and vadyam. During the initial phase of walking he walks with one of his hands supporting the murti. Later he removes the supporting hand and walks around the shrine. This ritual is known as Bali.
The temple is dedicated to Bhagavan Srihari Vishnu. The shrine has two-tiered square sreekovil. The sanctum sanctorum faces east. It is believed that the Prathishta of Gopala Krishna here was performed by Kanva Maharshi in Dwapara Yuga. The murti was worshipped by Yashoda, foster mother of Krishna. The murti has the features of a child and was gifted by Sri Krishna himself to Kanva Maharshi.
The Upa Devatas worshipped in the temple are Ganapathy, Sastha, Chamundi and Nagam.
The walls of Agrashala have paintings of Krishnagadha.
This is one among the four important temples of Mayapodi kings in the region. The temple was renovated in the 10th century AD by King Jayasimha of Kadamba dynasty. Kumbla was the capital of Kadamba dynasty and rulers ruled in the name of Kanipura Sri Gopalakrishna. The coronation of the kings of the dynasty was performed in the temple.