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
Sai Baba
Sai Baba arrived as a young ascetic at Shirdi and stayed for decades, living in a ruined mosque and radiating love to Hindus and Muslims alike. He performed no public miracles for...
Navagraha
The Navagraha are the nine planetary deities — Surya, Chandra, Mangala, Budha, Guru, Shukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu — whose movements are believed to shape time and destiny. Most Hin...
Surya
Surya is the son of Kashyapa and Aditi and the father of Yama, Manu and the Ashvins. The Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to the sun, was taught to Rama before his battle with Ravana, and t...
Chandra
Chandra, the moon god, emerged from the churning of the ocean and married the twenty-seven Nakshatras. His special fondness for Rohini is told in the Puranas, and his waxing and wa...
Shani
Shani is the son of Surya and Chhaya, and his stern gaze tests the deeds of every being. He is the lord of Saturn, the great teacher of karma, discipline and patience, and his dela...
Lakshmi Narasimha
After Narasimha slew Hiranyakashipu, his fierce energy would not subside, and the gods feared it might consume the worlds. Lakshmi came to him, and her presence calmed the lord; th...
Ardhanareeshwara
When Parvati embraced Shiva, their forms merged into one body, half male and half female. The image of Ardhanareeshwara reveals that the divine masculine and feminine are not two t...
Panchamukha Hanuman
To rescue Rama and Lakshmana from the underworld, Hanuman took five faces — Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda, Varaha and his own — and blew out the lamps that guarded the demon Ahirava...
Family Deities (Kuladevata)
Each family lineage preserves its own kuladevata, the guardian deity of the household, honoured at weddings, naming ceremonies and family festivals. The deity is often a local godd...
Temple histories
Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple
Thirunakkara Sree Mahadevar Temple in Kottayam is one of the 108 revered Shivalayas of Kerala. The temple is believed to have been built by a Thekkumkur maharaja around the 16th ce...
Kaduthuruthy Mahadeva Temple
Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district is home to one of central Kerala's major Mahadeva temples. Tradition groups it with Vaikom and Ettumanoor as three lingas said to have been instal...
Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam district is one of Kerala's major Shiva temples and is unique for its oval sanctum, roofed with copper sheets. Tradition groups it with Ettu...
Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple
Kandiyoor Sree Mahadeva Temple near Mavelikkara stands on the Achankovil river, in a region that was once the capital of the Odanadu kingdom. It is counted among the 108 great Shiv...
Evoor Sree Krishnaswamy Temple
Evoor Major Sreekrishnaswamy Temple near Haripad traces its origin to the Khandava forest episode of the Mahabharata. Agni, unable to digest the ghee he had consumed, was advised t...
Mullackal Rajarajeswari Temple
Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple in Alappuzha is about five centuries old and takes its name from the jasmine — mullai — that once grew around it. The grounds are still filled with j...
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple near Haripad is Kerala's foremost serpent shrine, set in a forest grove and filled with tens of thousands of snake images offered by devotees. The...
Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple
Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple near Thiruvalla enshrines Shiva with Parvati and is counted among Kerala's important Shivalayas. Its compound also holds a famous Hanuman shrine.Legend sa...
Sree Vallabha Temple, Thiruvalla
Sreevallabha Temple at Thiruvalla is one of Kerala's oldest and largest temples and one of the 108 Divya Desams. Its deity, Sreevallabha, is Vishnu as the consort of Sree, or Laksh...