The answer to why there are numerous snake groves or sarpa kavu in Kerala is found in the book 'Kerala Ulpathi' by C.K.Menon. Sarpam means snake and Kerala is famous for snake groves. The history of these ancient natural temples stretch back to the origin of the land of present day Kerala. The district of Malabar along with Kochi, Travancore South and a part of North Kanara, extending from Cape Comorin to Gokarna, distance of 640 miles north to south, was reclaimed from the sea by Parshuram Avatar of Vishnu and colonized by him. The aim of Parshuram Avatar was to annihilate the evil Kshatriya Kings who were practicing adharma on earth. He carried out his object by destroying the warrior chiefs 21 times. This sin of killing was too much for Parashuram. He therefore retired to Gokarna in North Kanara (present day Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada) Parashuram invoked Varuna, the god of waters, to give him some land. Varuna accordingly went back a few miles, and 646 m