Sarpa Kavu from Kerala

Its a good news from Kerala Government to protect the bio diversity of 'sarpa kavu' or sacred grove. Its a rich heritage and a link to the mother earth. In Kerala most of the families have their own 'Kavu'.
I had gone to many 'kavu' for poojas but didn't took any photos. But it was a thick greenery with rare medicinal plants. My father's ancestoral home had a kavu. After its renovation its greenery is not there instead of the green house they are planning to build a small temple for naga raja. Most of the families are taking the dieties to 'Mannara shala temple', 'Ameda temple' or 'Pambummekkattu temple' to escape from the fear of 'Sarpa dosham'. Its a serpant adobe of every home. This will be a little forest itself. There will be poojas only in certain days of an year.
Some homes had two or three kavu.
Mythology behind the kavu has strong connection with the birth of Kerala. According to hindu culture we believe that Parasurama had created Kerala from sea. Then it was a place with thick forest which contains poisonous snakes. Parasurama presented the land to Brahmins to live. They made these groves to worship these snakes.


Image of Sarpa kavu

Our Temples

Our temple culture

An ancient legend exists in Kerala about the birth of Haindava Temples. According to this legend Kerala had created by Parasurama(an incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu). He had devided the Kerala into 64 villages and he had constituted 108 Siva Temples and 108 Durga Temples in these villages. He himself brought some scholars and Brahmins from other states and they built 24,000 temples along Kerala.
They can be classified into two: temples built according to bharathiya vasthu sasthra(with dwaja prathishta) and without dwaja prathishta. The number of temples with dwaja prathishta is below 400. Temples without dwaja prathishta are also very famous.
Some of the temples in Kerala:
Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple, Thripunithura
Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, Perunnai,Changancherry
Thrikkodithanam Temple, Thrikkodithanam
Goshala Krishna Temple,Thiruvanvandur, Chengannur
Keezhkulangara Mahadeva Temple, Perunnai,Changancherry
Panachikkavu Bhadrakali Temple, Perunnai West, Changanacherry
Kidangoor Skanda Temple, Kidangoor
Shree Prasadapureswara Devaswom, Mala in Trichur
Thrichambaram Krishna Temple, Kannur
Thuruthi Bhagawathi Temple, Maradu
Maranathukavu Bhadrakali Temple,Perunnai,Changancherry
Udayanapuram Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, Udayanapuram
Bhaktapriyathu Krishna Temple, Perunnai East, Changanacherry
Ilankavu devi Temple, Ilankavu
Sree Mukkottil Bhagavathy Temple, Thripunithura
Thiru Ayini Temple,Maradu,Kochi
Sree Kottaram Bhagavathi Temple, Maradu,Kochi
Poonithura Kottaram Krishna Temple,Poonithura
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
Mannarsala Temple of Snakes, Haripad
Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple,Guruvayoor
Vadakkunnathan Temple,Thrissur]
Vaidyanatha Temple, Taliparambu
Siva Temple, Ernakulam
Navamukunda Temple, Thirunavai
Sree Krishna Temple, Ravipuram
Sree Devi Temple,Valanjambalam
Thiruvalla Sree Vallabha Temple,Thiruvalla
Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple,Vaikom
Kaduthuruthy Sree Mahadeva Temple, Kaduthuruthy
Ettumanoor Sree Mahadeva Temple,Ettumanoor
Kumaranalloor Bhagawathi Temple, Kumaranalloor
Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple, Chottanikkara
Oachira Parabrahmam Temple, Oachira
Attukal Devi Temple, Attukal
Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy Temple, Neerettupuram
Sree Dharmashastha Temple, Anaprambal
Sree Parasurama Temple, Thiruvallam
Saraswathi Temple, Panachikkadu, Kottayam
Thamaram kulangara Temple, Thripunithura
Kannan Kulangara Temple, Thripunithura
Adampallikkavu,Thripunithura
Bhadrakali Temple, Puthiyakavu
Sree Agasthya Temple, Kureekkadu
Sree Garuda Temple, Kochi
Sree Gopalakrishnaswamy Devaswom, Kochi
Sri Kashi Muth Temple, Chemgam, West Hill, Calicut
Sri Laxmi Venkatesh Temple, Hosdurg
Sree Hanuman Temple, Kochi
Sri Keraleshwar Devasthan , Keraleshwar Street, South Cherlai, Cochin
Sree Krishna Temple, Kureekkadu
Sri Panduranga Mandir, Calicut
Shabarimala Temple, Pathanamthitta
Malikapurathamma Temple, Pathanamthitta
Sri Veera Vittala Temple, Kumbla
Malayalapuzha Temple,Pathanamthitta
Pattazhi Temple, Pathanamthitta
Vendattu Sree Muruka Temple, Kollam
Padippurackal Devi Temple, Chambakkulam
Mylalathu Siva Temple, Edappally
Ganapathy Temple, Edappally
Thrikkakkara Temple, Thrikkakkara
Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, Chengannur
Chettikulangara Temple, Kayamkulam
Sree Parthasarathi Temple, Nedumkandam
Kodungalloor Bhagavathy Temple, Kodungalloor
Malliyoor Mahaganapathy Temple, Kuruppanthara
Sree Krishnaswamy Temple, Ambalappuzha
Mangaladevi Temple,Idukki
Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
Koodalmanikyam Temple, Irinjalakkuda
Kalpathy Temple, Palakkadu
Thirunelli Temple, Wayanadu
Thali Temple, Kozhikkodu
Lokanarkavu Temple, Kozhikkodu
Paramekkavu Bhagavathy Temple, Thrissur
Thiruvambadi Bhagavathy Temple, Thrissur
Arattupuzha Sree Sastha Temple, Arattupuzha