| Temples & Legends Of Kerala |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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THE TEMPLE FOR SERPENTS |
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| According to
legend the Mannarsala grove is the property of a family whose ancestors are said to have
been spared when Krishna and Arjuna burned the Khandava forest of the Punjab. Every male
member of the family was called Vasuka, the name of the king of Patala, the great king of
the Nagas. Family Deity
According to another version, the site of the Khandava forest was the land from Avur in
the north to Alleppey in the South. When Arjuna set fire to the forest the serpents fled
in confusion to Mannarsala and prayed to God for protection. Then the earth miraculously
cooled down. After the serpents found refuge, an ancestress of the Nambiathy had a vision
to dedicate the groves and the land to Nagaraja, and to build a temple thereon. These
commands were promptly obeyed and thenceforward the Nagaraja became the family deity of
Nambiathy. |
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