Peralassery Temple: The temple of Lord Subramanian as serpent

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Temples in Kerala have great stories & legends attached to their origin & some are quite unique. One such temple that is revered by many is the grand Peralassery temple in Kannur. The temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanian & is one place that treats serpents equal to god. The temple is also a great example of traditional Kerala architecture.


The origin of the temple is not clear but based on legends it is considered to be present here from Tretayuga. As per the myth associated with the origin of the temple it is considered to have been an Ayyapankavu before. Lord Subramanian was considered to be very shrewd in learning & one day asked Lord Brahma the meaning of Omkaram which he was unable to describe. Lord Subramanian was angry that the most learned was unable to answer his question & in anger is said to have imprisoned the creator which stopped all events of the universe. Lord Shiva was apprised of the incident & he asked Lord Subramanian to release Brahma which his son obliged with due respect. Lord Subramanian had committed a cosmic mistake & as per rules he was to repent in a place where no one could find him. The place found by Lord Subramanian is where the Peralassery temple stands but the approval of Lord Sastha was to be sought. To stay in the temple, Lord Subramanian assumed the form of a serpent & stayed within the temple grounds. 


Lord Rama, Lakshmana & Hanuman passed the temple during their quest of finding Devi Sita when Lord Rama felt the presence of Lord Subramanian at the temple. Lord Rama performed poojas but he needed an idol to consecrate the grace of Lord Subramanian & assigned the duty to Hanuman who went around in search of an idol. The whole land around the temple was green but devoid of any stones & his search went for long which made Lord Rama impatient. He could not wait & so removed his royal bangle (Peruvala) & placed it here to consecrate Lord Subramanian. Hanuman returned after a while with a stone idol but he was late as the bangle was already consecrated. Lord Rama told Hanuman to place the idol over the bangle, but Hanuman wanted to remove the bangle from the place. Lord Rama warned him but his ego of being the all powerful made him lift the bangle which did not budge. He tried again & this time a serpent came out of the bangles’s cavity warning him. Hanuman realized that the serpent was Lord Subramanian & so as per his approval placed the stone idol over the bangle. Thus the idol was consecrated above the bangle of Lord Rama. The name of the place became known as Peruvalassery after this event & over the period it became Peralassery.


The temple premises are as important as the reverence to the deity. The banyan tree in front of the temple is considered to be as old as the time of Lord Rama. Another unique sight at the temple is the presence of one of the largest temple ponds in Kerala. The construction is quite unique as the design is not common in Kerala with steps all around, something found in North India known as baoris. The stepwell design is quite intricate with perfectly placed stones which create an optical illusion. It is said that the steps from all sides meet at the center of the pond which is quite deep & it is considered that the water from River Cauvery reaches the pond every year during the time of Thula sankramam. It is also a belief that Lord Subramanian bathed in the temple pond before assuming the form of a serpent. Though the temple is dedicated to Lord Subramanian, the devotion to serpents by the devotees is considered to have greater value. The sarpakavu which is to the side of the temple is one place where the devotees offer eggs, rice, milk & water to the serpent gods here as sarpabali. The temple also has a huge collection of stone serpent idols which are worshiped by people from all religions. The temple is also the venue for the annual festival conducted in the Malayalam month of Dhanu where one can see the Thidambu Nritham along with the usual temple traditional dance forms like Chakiarkoothu, Ottamthullal & Kathakali. 




The temple is an important part of the Nalambalam pilgrimage conducted by the Hindus during the Ramayanamasam. The visit to the Makreri temple is necessary for all who visit Peralassery temple. The ritual of sarpabali is an one which is uncommon in north Malabar region of Kerala & is one among many unique reasons why one should make it a point to visit this grand temple.



Location: Peralassery, Kerala 670622, India

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