--> Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December 4, 2012


Ameda Temple in Kerala That Accepts Snake Murtis (idols) from Sacred Groves

Snake worship, or Nagaradhana is very popular in Kerala. Earlier important houses in an area had a special grove dedicated to serpents which contain plants, shrubs and trees with medicinal properties. But majority of people do not want a sacred grove in their property as this reduces the value of the property in real estate market. So people are removing the Snake Murtis worshipped in the property. One temple which is currently hosting such removed murtis is the Ameda Temple in Ernakulam in Kerala. The Hindu reports  What happens when there is no one to look after them and the sacred groves (Sarpakavu) are left in the lurch? Just like there are old age homes to take care of the elderly, Ameda Temple is one of the temples that “accepts” the snake spirits of the sacred groves from places that the land owners are unable to maintain. It has the shrines dedicated to the Nagaraja and Nagayakshi along with the main deity known as Saptamathrukkal  “We try to talk to the land owners