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
Veda Vyasa
Vyasa, also called Krishna Dvaipayana, is the sage who divided the single Veda into the Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas so that its knowledge could be preserved and taught. Trad...
Dhanwanthari
Dhanvantari is the physician of the gods and an avatar of Vishnu, and the tradition of Ayurveda honours him as its divine source. During the churning of the Ocean of Milk he rose f...
Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, and while still in his mother's womb he learned how to enter the Chakravyuha, the wheel formation of the Kaurava army. On the thirteen...
garuda
Garuda, the king of birds, is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. When his mother was enslaved through a wager with her sister Kadru, Garuda flew to the heavens, defeated the...
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...