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
Shiva
When Brahma and Vishnu quarrelled over who was supreme, Shiva appeared between them as a pillar of fire without beginning or end, and neither could find its limit. During the churn...
Vishnu
Vishnu is the preserver of the cosmos, the deity who sustains dharma whenever it declines. He reclines on the serpent Ananta in the milky ocean and returns to the world in avatar a...
Krishna
Born to Devaki and Vasudeva in a prison cell and raised by Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul, Krishna grew up as the playful cowherd of Vrindavan. He defeated the tyrant Kamsa, guided the...
Rama
Rama, prince of Ayodhya, accepted fourteen years of exile to honour his father's word. With Sita and Lakshmana he lived in the forest, where Ravana carried Sita away to Lanka. Aide...
Narasimha
Hiranyakashipu won a boon that made him almost invincible: he could not be killed by god or man, inside or outside, by day or night. When he tormented his own son Prahlada for wors...
Venkateswara
Venkateswara is the form of Vishnu enshrined on the Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh, revered across South India as the lord of the seven hills. The temple tradition tells of Srini...
Lakshmi
Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the milky ocean seated on a lotus and chose Vishnu as her consort, bringing abundance to the three worlds. She is honoured as the goddess of pr...
Durga
When the buffalo demon Mahishasura could not be defeated by the gods, their combined energies took the shape of Durga, who rode a lion and battled him for nine nights, slaying him...
Kali
Kali sprang from the brow of the goddess to defeat the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and her wild dance afterwards threatened to shake the world. Shiva lay beneath her feet to calm...
Temple histories
Jenardhanan Swamy temple
Also known as Varkala Temple, it is dedicated to Vishnu as Janardanaswamy, locally called Varkaleswara. The shrine is one of the best-known pilgrimage stops of southern Kerala.
Kamaleswaram Mahadeva Temple
The temple serves the Kamaleswaram neighbourhood and follows the traditional Kerala pooja schedule.
Sree Vayillamkunnu bhagavathi temple
The shrine sits on the route to Cherpulassery and is one of the traditional Devi temples of the Valluvanad region.
Pariyanempatta Bhagavathi Temple
The temple and its precincts are often compared with the Mookambika temple at Kollur. Its annual festival remains a major gathering for the villages of Valluvanad.
Palakkavu Bhagavathi temple
The Edava Palakkavu Bhagavathi temple is one of the older shrines of south Kerala and holds its annual festival with traditional processions.
Meenkulathi Temple
Meenkulathi serves the Tamil-speaking villages around Pallassena and keeps a distinct ritual calendar influenced by both Kerala and Tamil traditions.
Mangottu Bhagavathi Temple
Mangottu Bhagavathi is regarded as the younger sister of Parakkattu Bhagavathi, whose temple stands nearby at Kavasseri.
Manapullikavu
Manapullikavu is closely tied to the agricultural calendar of the Palakkad plains and celebrates a large annual pooram.
Kadampuzha Devi Temple
The main deity is Parvati in the form of a huntress. There is no idol; the goddess is worshipped in a pit, and the presence of Ganesha is also believed to be felt at the shrine.