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
Kurumba Bhagavathi
The Kodungallur temple, linked in local tradition with the Chera capital and with Kannaki of the Silappathikaram, holds the goddess as Kurumba, the fierce mother. Her Bharani festi...
Karthyayani
Karthyayani is the form of Durga born to the sage Katyayana, invoked in the Devi Mahatmya as the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahisha. She is the sixth of the Navadurgas and is wors...
Bhuvaneshwari
As the fourth Mahavidya, Bhuvaneshwari is the cosmic mother whose form contains all the worlds. She is worshipped with the Sri Yantra and the sounds of the three bijas, and is hono...
Rajarajeshwari
As Lalita, the goddess arose from the fire of the churning of the ocean and defeated Bhandasura with her Sri Chakra army. At Chottanikkara she is worshipped in both her fierce and...
Mookambika
The Kollur temple tradition tells of the goddess who killed the demon Mookasura and who blessed Adi Shankara. She is worshipped as a form of Parvati and as the source of the arts a...
Vanadurga
In Kerala's kavu tradition, Durga is honoured in her forest form at groves that are left uncut and protected. She guards the boundary between the village and the wild, and her wors...
Karinkali
Karinkali is honoured as Bhadrakali in her darkest aspect. At Kannenkavu in Malappuram, the Karinkali Pooram gathers ritual dancers painted black, embodying the goddess's furious p...
Karuppaswamy
Karuppu is honoured as a warrior guardian who stands at the entrance of the village and the temple, armed with a sword and a whip. In the Tamil and Kerala border traditions he is o...
Vamana
When Mahabali's rule became too proud, Vishnu took birth as the dwarf Vamana and asked for three paces of land. With two steps he covered earth and heaven, and with the third he pr...
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...