Famous Snake Temples in India

Snake temples, or Naga Shrines, are found mainly in South India. Here again exclusive Nagaraja Temples are few. Majority of the shrines are either dedicated to Shiva or Subrahmanya (Kartik) but the naga worship is more famous. Here are few famous Snake Temples in India.

Mannarasala Temple at Haripad in Kerala

This temple is exclusively dedicated to Nagas. The main murti worshipped in the temple is Nagaraja and Nagayakshi. The temple has small forest cover and ponds. The inner premises of the shrine give the feeling of ancient sacred grooves dedicated to Nagas. (You can learn more about the temple here at the official website)

Bhujang Naga Temple, Gujarat

Bhujia Fort is located on the outskirts of Bhuj in Gujarat. Legend has it that, the fort is dedicated to the last Naga Clan Bhujanga, who attained martyrdom. In memory of his great sacrifice a temple was built on the Bhujiya hills and it is known as the Bhujang Naga Temple. Nag Panchami fair in Shravan month attracts huge crowd. Currently, the fort is in the possession of the Indian Army.

Sheshnag Temple, Jammu And Kashmir

As per Hindu Scriptures, Sheshnag, also known as the king of snakes, created a lake near Pahalgam. It is believed that Sheshnag still lives here and hence a temple dedicated to the serpent god is built on its banks. Pilgrims on their yatra to Amarnath Cave visit this lake and worship Sheshnag.

Agasanahalli Nagappa, Bengaluru

The sanctum sanctorum of this temple located near Davangere  has an ant-hill with a naturally formed image of Lord. Sightings of a golden colored snake around the temple by devotees have made this temple famous. No moon days or Amavasya attract maximum crowd.

Naganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu

A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva with importance to Ketu Navagraha, who has the body of a snake. It is believed that important snakes in Hindu scriptures like Dakshan and Karkotaka offered prayers to Shiva here. 

Kukke Subrahmanya Swami Temple

Kukke Subramanya Temple is a popular Hindu Temple located at Subrahmanya, Sullia Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District in Karnataka. Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped here but the temple is famous as Naga or Snake Temple as divine serpent Vasuki and other snakes found safety here. The temple is famous for alleviating Sarpa Samskara or Sarpa Dosha. (More details here at the official website)

Vetticode Sree Nagaraja Swami Temple

This is another popular Nagaraja Temple in Kerala. It is located on the Kayamkulam – Adoor road in Kerala. The Sarppakavu (serpent grove) at the temple has Nagaraja and Nagayakshi as the principal deities. This temple is believed to have been constructed by Parashurama. (You can learn more about the Vetticode Sree Nagaraja Swami Temple here at the official website)

Nagaraja Temple at Nagercoil

Nagaraja Temple at Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu is dedicated to serpents. The temple is famous for numerous unique rituals. The huge temple is visited by people from all around the world. Those suffering from astrological problems related to Nagas find relief here.