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
Thrikkadavoor Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Thrikkadavoor Sree Mahadeva Temple in Kollam district is one of the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala, administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board and known for its golden flagstaff an...
Kulathupuzha Sree Dharma Sastha Temple
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple in Kollam district is one of the five great Sastha shrines of Kerala, along with Aryankavu, Achankovil, Sabarimala and Kanthamala. Its idol is said to be...
Ochira Parabrahma Temple
Ochira Parabrahma Temple, on the Kollam–Alappuzha border, is unusual in Kerala for worshipping the formless Parabrahma rather than an installed idol. It is counted among the state'...
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathy Temple
Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathy Kshethram is best known for its shrine of Mahaganapathy, though the temple's principal deity is Shiva. The complex also honours Parvati, Murugan, Ay...
Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swami Temple, south of Thiruvananthapuram, enshrines Krishna as Unnikannan in the Navaneetha Krishna form, holding butter. The temple is believed to have...
Karikkakom Chamundi Devi Temple
Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is more than six centuries old and enshrines a panchaloha image of Karikkakathamma, worshipped in three forms — Maha Cham...
Vellayani Devi Temple
Vellayani Devi Temple near Thiruvananthapuram, on the eastern bank of Vellayani lake, is a highly revered Bhadrakali shrine under the Travancore Devaswom Board. Its rituals preserv...
Sarkara Devi Temple
Sarkaradevi Temple at Chirayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram district is dedicated to Bhadrakali and has a long association with the Attingal royal house. The Attingal Ranis, linked...
Janardanaswamy Temple, Varkala
Janardanaswamy Temple at Varkala, near Thiruvananthapuram, worships Vishnu as Janardana, the lord of the people, and is also known locally as Varkaleswara. The shrine is believed t...