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
Bhagavathi
Bhagavathi is the mother goddess honoured across Kerala in her many forms — Bhadrakali, Durga, Kali and the countless village deities who protect the land and its people. The word...
Parvati
Daughter of the mountain king Himavan, Parvati performed severe penance to win Shiva, who had withdrawn into grief after Sati. Their marriage is celebrated as the union of matter a...
Saraswati
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, speech, music and learning, seated on a white lotus with a veena in her hands. As the river Saraswati faded from the earth, the goddess withd...
Murugan
Born to Shiva and Parvati, Skanda was raised by the Krittikas and by the fire, and grew into the youthful commander of the divine army. With his vel, the spear of divine wisdom, he...
Ayyappa
Manikandan, the son of Shiva and Vishnu as Mohini, was adopted by the Pandala king and saved the kingdom from the demoness Mahishi. He then withdrew to Sabarimala, where he blesses...
Hanuman
Hanuman, the son of the wind, leapt the ocean to Lanka, found Sita, carried the Sanjivani mountain to save Lakshmana and served Rama with perfect devotion. His strength is always o...
Ganesha
Parvati created Ganesha from clay to guard her door. When Shiva returned and did not recognise the boy, he cut off his head in anger, then restored him with the head of an elephant...
Subrahmanya
Subrahmanya received the vel from his mother Parvati and led the divine army against Surapadma. The demon's defeat is celebrated in the Skanda Purana, and the spear remains the god...
Dattatreya
Anasuya, wife of the sage Atri, pleased the Trimurti by her devotion, and they were born to her as the single child Dattatreya. He grew up as a wandering avadhuta, and the traditio...
Temple histories
Thrikkadavoor Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Thrikkadavoor Sree Mahadeva Temple in Kollam district is one of the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala, administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board and known for its golden flagstaff an...
Kulathupuzha Sree Dharma Sastha Temple
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple in Kollam district is one of the five great Sastha shrines of Kerala, along with Aryankavu, Achankovil, Sabarimala and Kanthamala. Its idol is said to be...
Ochira Parabrahma Temple
Ochira Parabrahma Temple, on the Kollam–Alappuzha border, is unusual in Kerala for worshipping the formless Parabrahma rather than an installed idol. It is counted among the state'...
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathy Temple
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathy Kshethram is best known for its shrine of Mahaganapathy, though the temple's principal deity is Shiva. The complex also honours Parvati, Murugan, Ay...
Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swami Temple, south of Thiruvananthapuram, enshrines Krishna as Unnikannan in the Navaneetha Krishna form, holding butter. The temple is believed to have...
Karikkakom Chamundi Devi Temple
Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is more than six centuries old and enshrines a panchaloha image of Karikkakathamma, worshipped in three forms — Maha Cham...
Vellayani Devi Temple
Vellayani Devi Temple near Thiruvananthapuram, on the eastern bank of Vellayani lake, is a highly revered Bhadrakali shrine under the Travancore Devaswom Board. Its rituals preserv...
Sarkara Devi Temple
Sarkaradevi Temple at Chirayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram district is dedicated to Bhadrakali and has a long association with the Attingal royal house. The Attingal Ranis, linked...
Janardanaswamy Temple, Varkala
Janardanaswamy Temple at Varkala, near Thiruvananthapuram, worships Vishnu as Janardana, the lord of the people, and is also known locally as Varkaleswara. The shrine is believed t...