Stories of gods and temples.
The origin stories of Kerala's deities and the histories of its temples — legends of creation and courage, of saints and rulers, and of the shrines that keep them alive.
Stories of the gods
Shiva
When Brahma and Vishnu quarrelled over who was supreme, Shiva appeared between them as a pillar of fire without beginning or end, and neither could find its limit. During the churn...
Vishnu
Vishnu is the preserver of the cosmos, the deity who sustains dharma whenever it declines. He reclines on the serpent Ananta in the milky ocean and returns to the world in avatar a...
Krishna
Born to Devaki and Vasudeva in a prison cell and raised by Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul, Krishna grew up as the playful cowherd of Vrindavan. He defeated the tyrant Kamsa, guided the...
Rama
Rama, prince of Ayodhya, accepted fourteen years of exile to honour his father's word. With Sita and Lakshmana he lived in the forest, where Ravana carried Sita away to Lanka. Aide...
Narasimha
Hiranyakashipu won a boon that made him almost invincible: he could not be killed by god or man, inside or outside, by day or night. When he tormented his own son Prahlada for wors...
Venkateswara
Venkateswara is the form of Vishnu enshrined on the Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh, revered across South India as the lord of the seven hills. The temple tradition tells of Srini...
Lakshmi
Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the milky ocean seated on a lotus and chose Vishnu as her consort, bringing abundance to the three worlds. She is honoured as the goddess of pr...
Durga
When the buffalo demon Mahishasura could not be defeated by the gods, their combined energies took the shape of Durga, who rode a lion and battled him for nine nights, slaying him...
Kali
Kali sprang from the brow of the goddess to defeat the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and her wild dance afterwards threatened to shake the world. Shiva lay beneath her feet to calm...
Temple histories
Kapalikkulangara Sree Mahavishnu Temple
The shrine shares the temple town of Taliparamba with the Rajarajeshwara Temple and serves the local Vaishnava community.
Cherai Gowreeshwara Temple
Known locally as Gowreeshwara, the temple is a focal point of the Cherai villages and draws visitors during its annual festival.
Altharakkal Sree Muthappan Madapura
Local tradition regards Muthappan here as a manifestation of Shiva. The madapura keeps the theyyam-based ritual tradition of the Kanhangad countryside.
Maramkulangara Krishna Temple
The principal deity is Krishna in his child form. The shrine is counted among the Abhimana temples of Vishnu in the Kochi region.
Anandeswaram Mahadeva Temple
Anandeswaram Sree Mahadeva Kshethram is counted among the oldest shrines of Pandanad in Chengannur taluk, and forms part of the village's traditional temple cluster.
Makaliyam Sreerama Swamy Temple
Local tradition holds that the temple was built during the Chera dynasty and that a major fire once destroyed much of the original structure; the present shrine was rebuilt around...
Adichikkavu Sree Durga Devi Kshetram
Also called Adichikavu Devi Temple, it is one of the oldest temples of Pandanad in Alappuzha district and is closely linked with the village's other old shrines.
Thamaramkulangara Sree Dharma Sastha Temple
The temple is a familiar landmark of Tripunithura and its festival, with caparisoned elephants and traditional ensembles, is one of the town's best-attended celebrations.
Manakkattu devi temple
The temple stands about four kilometres east of Harippad in Karthikappalli taluk. It is administered jointly by the Thekkummuri, Kottakkakam, Naduvattom and Thrikkunnapuzha karayog...