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
Sree Sundareshwara Temple
It is one of two prominent temples in Kannur district consecrated by Sree Narayana Guru, the other being the Jagannatha Temple at Thalassery. The shrine lies about two kilometres f...
Vadeshwaram Temple
The temple sits on a hill that resembles a mountain, which gives the shrine its local name. It is one of the better-known Shiva temples of north Kerala.
Sree Andalurkavu
Andalurkavu is a prominent Thiyya family shrine and ritual centre. Its main festival falls in the first week of the Malayalam month of Kumbham.
Puthoorppilli Sreekrishnaswami Temple
Puthoorppilly Sreekrishna Temple is a protected monument of the Kerala State Department of Archaeology, valued for its surviving wooden structure and mural work.
Oorpazhachi Kavu
The kavu is an important ritual space in the Edakkad grama panchayat, where theyyam performances keep the region's folk worship alive.
Madai Vadukunda Shiva Temple
Local tradition credits the Kolathiri kings with building the shrine in the Middle Ages. It stands on Madayipara, a plateau famous for its seasonal wildflowers and archaeological r...
Kunnathoor Padi
Kunnathoor Padi is regarded as the original Aroodam of Muthappan. The remote hill shrine is visited by pilgrims who trek through the Western Ghats forests, especially during the an...
Karivellur Mahadeva Temple
The temple was formerly under the Chitrakkal Kovilakam and remains a major shrine for the villages around Payyanur.
Karikkode Bhagavathy Temple
The shrine serves the farming villages of the Thodupuzha countryside and retains its traditional annual festival.