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
Dakshina Mookambika Temple, North Paravur
Dakshina Mookambika Temple at North Paravur in Ernakulam district is a southern seat of the goddess Mookambika of Kollur. The sanctum stands in the middle of a lotus pool, and the...
Cochin Thirumala Devaswom
Cochin Thirumala Devaswom, also called Gosripuram, is the principal religious institution of the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community of Kerala. It stands in the Cherlai quarter of Mat...
Cherthala Karthyayani Temple
Karthyayani Devi Temple at Cherthala in Alappuzha district is one of the famous Devi shrines of the Kerala coast. The goddess is honoured as Mangalya Dayini, the giver of auspiciou...
Chengannur Mahadeva Temple
Chengannur Mahadeva Temple in Alappuzha district is one of the great Shiva temples of Kerala, counted alongside Ettumanoor, Kaduthuruthy, Vaikom, Ernakulam and Vadakkunnathan. Shiv...
Chakkamkulangara Siva Temple
Chakkamkulangara Siva Temple at Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district is an ancient Shiva shrine, more than a thousand years old and built in the Kerala-Dravidian style. Parvati is...
Aryankavu Sastha Temple
Aryankavu Sastha Temple stands near the Tamil Nadu border in Kollam district, one of the five principal Shasta temples of Kerala. The name is read as the sacred grove of the Arya,...
Annapurneshwari Temple, Cherukunnu
Annapoorneshwari Temple at Cherukunnu in Kannur district is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of food, and is unusual in keeping Krishna as a co-deity in the same shrine. The sit...
Achankovil Sastha Temple
Achankovil Sastha Temple lies on the banks of the Achankovil river in Kollam district and is one of the five major Shasta temples of Kerala, with Kulathupuzha, Aryankavu, Sabarimal...
Ernakulathappan Temple
Ernakulam Shiva Temple, known to devotees as Ernakulathappan, is regarded as the guardian deity of Kochi. The temple's traditions are linked to the Cheranalloor Kartha family, and...