The Ernakulathappan Temple, also known as the Ernakulam Shiva Temple, is one of the most revered Shiva temples in Kerala. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is deeply associated with the spiritual heritage and traditions of Ernakulam. According to local legend, the origin of the temple is connected with a devotee named Nagarsi and a sacred Shiva Lingam.
The Story of Ernakulathappan Temple
In the Dvapara Yuga, a sage named Kulamuni was
engaged in deep penance in the Himalayas. He had a devoted disciple named Devalan.
One day, Kulamuni decided to perform a sacred homa
and instructed Devalan and his fellow disciples to go into the forest to
collect the necessary offerings and ritual materials.
As they were making their way through the forest, they came
across a snake. Frightened by its presence, the other disciples ran away and
hid among the bushes. Devalan, however, was not afraid. He found a creeper
nearby, used it to trap the snake, and killed it.
The Curse
When Kulamuni heard from the other disciples what had
happened, he became displeased and cursed Devalan. He declared that, because he
had killed the snake, Devalan would become a terrifying being with the head
of a serpent and the body of a human.
Devalan was deeply distressed and pleaded with the sage to
free him from the curse. Kulamuni, moved by compassion, granted him a way to
attain liberation.
He told Devalan:
“To the east of this place, beneath an Elanji tree,
there is a Shiva Lingam that is worshipped by a serpent. Take this sacred
Lingam with you and travel towards the south. At the place where the Lingam
becomes firmly established while you are performing your worship, you will be
freed from the curse.”
Because of the curse, Devalan was transformed into a
serpent-being known as Nagarsi. Carrying the sacred Shiva Lingam,
Nagarsi began his journey southward.
The Journey
During his travels, he visited many places. Eventually, he
reached Ernakulam. There, he placed the Shiva Lingam beneath the shade
of a tree and went to a nearby pond to bathe. After returning from his bath, he
began his worship of Lord Shiva.
The following morning, people who had come to the pond to
bathe were astonished and frightened when they saw a terrifying serpent-like
being worshipping the Shiva Lingam. They raised an alarm and gathered others
around them.
When the people began to approach and threaten Nagarsi, he
tried to escape with the sacred Lingam. But he soon discovered that the Lingam
had become firmly rooted to the ground and could not be moved.
Realising that this was the very place foretold by Kulamuni,
Nagarsi prostrated himself before the Shiva Lingam in complete devotion. At
that moment, he was released from the curse and regained his original form.
The people who witnessed this miraculous event informed the
local ruler, Thooshath Kaimal. Recognising the sacredness of the place,
he arranged for a temple to be built at the spot where the Shiva Lingam had
become firmly established.
According to tradition, that sacred shrine is the
present-day Ernakulam Mahashiva Temple, revered as Ernakulathappan Temple.
The legend thus connects the temple with devotion, divine
grace, and the fulfilment of a sacred destiny—where a cursed being found
liberation through unwavering worship of Lord Shiva.