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
Gandharva
In the Puranas the Gandharvas are the heavenly singers who play for the gods. In Kerala's groves they are honoured as nature spirits, and shrines to Gandharva and Yakshi are found...
Bhairava
When Brahma's fifth head grew arrogant, Shiva cut it off and was afflicted with the sin of Brahmanahatya. He wandered as Bhairava until the sin was released in Kashi, where he beca...
Veerabhadra
When Sati immolated herself at Daksha's yajna, Shiva tore a lock from his hair and created Veerabhadra, who destroyed the sacrifice and subdued the gods assembled there. He is wors...
Andal
Kodhai, a foundling raised in Srivilliputhur, grew up in devotion to Ranganatha and insisted on marrying him. She merged with the deity and became Andal, she who ruled the Lord, an...
Duryodhana
Duryodhana was the eldest of the hundred Kauravas, the sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari. His jealousy of his Pandava cousins shaped the rivalry that led to t...
Brahma
Brahma is the creator of the Trimurti, the trinity he shares with Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the dissolver. Puranic tradition describes him emerging from the golden egg Hiranya...
Gandhari Amman
Gandhari, princess of Gandhara, was married to the blind prince Dhritarashtra and blindfolded herself for life in solidarity with him. Through a boon she became the mother of a hun...
Bhoothanatha
Bhoothanatha means the lord of the bhootas, the hosts of spirits that attend Shiva. In Kerala the name is given to Shiva in his role as guardian of the sacred ground, and the deity...
Indilayappan
Indilayappan is the presiding deity of the ancient Avanavanchery temple near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram district. Temple tradition identifies him with Shiva and Umamaheswara, a...
Temple histories
Chakkulathukavu Temple
Chakkulathukavu is one of Alappuzha district's most visited shrines. Women devotees gather in large numbers for the Nari Pooja, and the temple's annual festival draws pilgrims from...
Madhur Sree Madanantheshwara Siddhivinayaka Temple
Madhur Temple near Kasaragod, on the Madhuvahini river, honours Shiva as Madanantheshwara but is best known for its Ganapathy shrine. Tradition says an elderly woman named Madaru f...
Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy Temple
Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy Temple near Valapattanam enshrines the fierce form of Bhadrakali and is honoured as the mother of Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala. The name is l...
Peralassery Sree Subrahmanya Temple
Peralassery, on the Anjarakandy river in Kannur district, is home to the well-known Sree Subrahmanya Temple. The shrine has long been a centre of devotion for the surrounding villa...
Trichambaram Sree Krishna Temple
Trichambaram Temple at Taliparamba in Kannur district enshrines Krishna in a fierce posture after the slaying of Kamsa. The temple is listed among the Abhimana Kshethrams, the hono...
Rajarajeshwara Temple, Taliparamba
Rajarajeshwara Temple at Taliparamba in Kannur district is one of the 108 ancient Shiva temples of Kerala. Tradition credits its founding to Parashurama, with Vishwakarma as archit...
Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple
Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan Temple at Parassinikadavu, on the Valapattanam river in Kannur, worships Muthappan, a deity who combines aspects of Shiva and Vishnu. The temple...
Thirunelli Maha Vishnu Temple
Thirunelli Temple lies on the slope of Brahmagiri in Wayanad, close to the Karnataka border and about 900 metres above sea level. It is dedicated to Maha Vishnu and counted among t...
Valayanad Devi Temple
Sree Valayanad Devi Temple near Kozhikode is the family deity of the Zamorin kings. The goddess is worshipped as Bhagavathy, and the shrine is closely tied to the political and dev...