Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple

Mannarasala Sri Nagaraja Temple, located near Haripad in Alappuzha district of Kerala, is a famous and ancient temple dedicated to the snake god Nagaraja. This temple is especially famous for childless couples, who come to seek the blessings of the snake god to get children. The temple has images of more than 100,000 snakes, making it the largest temple of its kind in Kerala. Mannarasala Sri Nagaraja Temple, located in Haripad in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, is an ancient and famous Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Nagaraja, the god of snakes. This temple is especially famous for its unique worship methods, worship of snakes and beliefs related to snakes. Mannarasala temple is associated with Lord Parashurama, who is considered as the creator of Kerala. According to legend, Parashurama created the land of Kerala by throwing his axe into the sea. This land was donated to the Brahmins, but this land was not habitable due to being salty. Parashurama performed penance to Lord Shiva, as a result of which Lord Shiva ordered him to worship Nagaraja. The worship of Nagaraja removed the moisture from the land and the land became habitable. Nagaraja vowed to reside on this land and the Mannarasala temple was established here. The temple is maintained by a Brahmin family called 'Illam'. The head priest of the temple is called 'Valliamma', who is a woman and conducts all the worship rituals of the temple.