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
Kodungallur Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple
Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple at Kodungallur is dedicated to Bhadrakali, lovingly called Kodungallur Amma. Legend says Parashurama, troubled by the demon Darika, prayed to Shiva,...
Koodalmanikyam Temple
Koodalmanikyam Temple at Irinjalakuda is the only ancient temple in India dedicated to Bharata, Rama's brother. A stone inscription of the Chera king Sthanu Ravi, dated to 854–55 C...
Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple in Thrissur worships Krishna as a child together with Bhadrakali, both held in equal regard. The compound also has shrines for Ganesha, Sastha and B...
Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple
Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bhagavathy temples in Kerala, standing in the heart of Thrissur near Vadakkunnathan. Sakthan Thampuran organised the temples of t...
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur is a classical example of Kerala temple architecture, with a monumental tower on each side and a koothambalam for performances. Its murals depict...
Thrikkakara Vamana Moorthy Temple
Thrikkakara Vamanamoorthy Temple near Kochi is one of the major temples dedicated to Vamana, Vishnu's dwarf avatar, and is around two millennia old. It is counted among the 108 Div...
Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple
Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple at Thrippunithura, near Kochi, worships Vishnu as Santhanagopala Murthy, a form believed to bless childless couples with children. The deity was the fam...
Mangaladevi Temple, Thekkady
Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple stands high in the hills near Thekkady, close to the Tamil Nadu border and inside the Periyar region. It is dedicated to Kannagi, the heroine of the Sil...
Kumaranalloor Devi Temple
Kumaranalloor Devi Temple, a short drive from Kottayam, is one of central Kerala's best-loved Bhagavathy shrines. The goddess is worshipped as Katyayani, a fierce form of Parvati,...