About Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple
Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple is one of the largest temples in Kerala, India which has over 1,00,000 images of snakes. It is a very classical and internationally well-known center for religious journeys for the devotees of Serpent Gods (Nagraja). Couples facing infertility issues come to worship here and after the birth of their child, they show their gratitude by bringing some new snake images as offerings. It is believed that there is some special kind of turmeric paste which is available in the temple with healing power.
History
The History of Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple is associated with “Lord Pashurama ” who is completely believed to be the creator of Kerala. Legends say that when Pashurama decided to search for forgiveness for the sin of killing the Kshatriyas, he then proceeded towards the holy Rishis. They recommend him to make a gift of a land of his own to the Brahmins. Pashurama pacified Varuna Deva (the Lord of the Seas) to get some land for himself. Varuna appeared before and gave directions to him to throw his parasu, the axe which Lord Siva had given him, into the sea to get back land. He throws it and raises a piece of land from the sea and gives it as a gift to the Brahmins. This land is considered to be the present-day Kerala.
In the beginning, Kerala was not fit to live in because of the saltiness. Not even vegetables grew there. People began to leave the place. Parasurama was upset at this. He decided to please Lord Siva, who advised him that the objective could be realized only if the flaming poison of the serpents was spread everywhere and that the only way of doing that was to worship Nagaraja. Parasurama, a yogi, above all desire, decided that he would not even rest for a while until he saw Kerala come up as a land of evergreen beauty full of trees and plants, healthy in every way. He set out with his disciples in search of a deserted jungle in order to please Nagaraja who was out of reach and beyond anybody’s understanding. He found an appropriate 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 atonement.
Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple, who was pleased with the atonement, appeared before Parasurama, willing to acknowledge his desire. Parasurama lay down at the lotus feet of Nagaraja and prayed to realize his objective. Nagaraja acknowledged his request with great delight. Fierce serpents came at the spot at once to spread the flaming Kalakuda poison. After spreading the poison, the land of Kerala was purified, to become habitable with greenery. Parasurama then requested the Lord to bless the land forever with his everlasting presence, and that was also accepted by the kindly disposed Nagaraja
Temple Opening and Closing Time
5:30–11 am, 6–7:30 pm
How to Reach Mannarsala Nagaraja Temple
Distance By Air:– You can fly from New Delhi to Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple directly, it takes approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Distance By Train:- You can travel by train from New Delhi to Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple, it takes approximately 4 hours 45 minutes.
Nearest The nearest airport to Ettumanoor is Kochi Airport which is 57 km away.
