Temple

Mannarasala is the sacred abode of Lord Shri Nagaraja. Here, Lord Nagaraja is worshipped for begetting progeny.
The main attractions of the temple is the temple having the 30,000 images of snake-gods.

Legend

The story on the evolution of Mannarasala as the supreme place of worship of the
serpent Gods is associated with Parashurama, the creator of Kerala. Once Parashurama approached the holy rishis to release him from the sin of killing Kshatriyas. The Rishis suggested Parashurama that he should make a gift of a land of his own to the Brahmins. Parashurama pleased Lord Varuna to get some land for himself. He threw the Axe into the sea which Lord Shiva had given him with his blessings and reclaimed the land from the sea and gave it as a gift to the Brahmins. This land came to be known as Kerala. This piece of land, however was not habitable because of the salinity of the soil and as a result people began to leave the place. Pained at this, Parashurama undertook a penance to please Lord Shiva, who advised him that the land will be habitable only if the flaming poison of the serpents was spread into the soil and the only means of doing that was through the worship of Nagaraja. Parashurama set out with his disciples in search of a deserted jungle in order to please Nagaraja and found a suitable place near the seashore in the southern part of Kerala. Satisfied with having found a proper place for the realization of his cherished dream, the great Rishi constructed a Thirthasthala for the performance of the penance. A pleased Nagaraja appeared before Parashurama and granted his request with great pleasure. Ferocious serpents arrived at the spot at once to spread the flaming Kalakuda poison. Because of the percolation of poison, the land of Kerala was desalinated, to become habitable with envious greenery. Parasurama then requested the Lord Nagaraja to bless the land forever with his eternal presence which He accepted. Parashurama installed, according to Vedic rites, Nagaraja, who is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in one in the 'Thirthasthala' (Hall of pilgrimage) filled with Mandara trees, the place now known as Mannarasala.

Another legend associated with the temple is that Vasudeva and Sridevi were a childless brahmin couple and relentlessly prayed to Lord Nagaraja to bless tham with a child. Nagaraja who eventually got pleased, appeared before the couple and blessed them that he would incarnate on the earth as their beloved son.Nagaraja told the couple that he would stay in the form of a serpent here till eternity.The Brahmin lady became pregnant and gave birth to five-hooded serpent-child as well as a human child. Years passed by when the five-hooded Nagaraja realized that the objectives of his incarnation were realized, he informed the Holy Mother that henceforth he would live at the Illam by entering into Samadhi to bless the devotees. Then he suggested certain rituals and rules for offering worship and then went into the immaculate cellar and vanished.

Architecture

The temple is built in pure Keralian architecture and covers an area of 16 acres of dense green forest grove. The temple is in a gated property with a compound wall around. The outer border all along the inside of the temple are lined with serpent-stones of various shapes & sizes,clearly signifying what the temple is noted for. The temple has over 30,000 images of snakes along the paths and among the trees.

Picture Courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Morning- 5.00 AM to 12.00 PM (All days of the week)
Evening - 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM (All days of the week)

Darsan Dresscode

Men are expected to wear dhotis and should remove their shirts/ t- shirts. Women are expected to wear traditional attire like sarees after appearing before Valia amma.

Famous Festival

The Ayilyam day in Tulam, Kanni and Kumbham months in the Malayalam calendar (September and October) and the Mahasivarathri are celebrated with great pomp.

Culture

Haripad, a culturally renowned ancient town with prominent role in the history of Central Travancore, is rich with its exquisite green paddy fields, towering coconut palms and serene atmosphere of the adjacent hamlets. Now Haripad is a well-developed town with enough civic infrastructure like shopping complexes, hotels & lodges, educational institutions and hospitals.

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Temple Rituals

Noorum Palum

Special Rituals

'Uruli Kamazhthal' is a offering performed by childless couples to have babies and bhajanam for those who suffer from incurable diseases, those possessed by fear as a result of the anger of serpents and thereby find life unendurable

Additional Info