Naga temples or Naga worship are mostly found in South India. In particular, many Naga temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva or Karthikeya. What are the major Naga temples in India? Here are 8 Amazing Naga Temples in India.
For the many temples dedicated to serpents in the spiritual land of India. Some of them have gained worldwide fame. Snakes have great importance in Indian mythology and are worshipped as gods. Hindus worship snakes as gods and call them Nagadevata. Killing snakes is considered a sin. If a snake dies accidentally, various forms of pooja are performed to remove its sins.
The following are the major Naga Devatas in India.
Mannarsala Temple, Kerala
It is one of the largest and most popular Naga temples in India located in Mannarsala, Kerala. This temple is dedicated to Lord Nagaraja, the king of serpents. There are around 30,000 stone serpent idols and images within the temple premises. The temple is said to be 3,000 years old. Newlyweds and childless couples visit this temple to seek fertility.
Bhujanga Naga Temple, Gujarat
Bhuji Fort is located on the outskirts of Bhuj, Gujarat. According to folk belief, the fort is dedicated to Bhujanga, the last Naga clan who died in battle. Locals have built a temple in his memory on the hills of Bhujia. It is known as Bhujanga Naga Temple. A fair is held around the temple on Naga Panchami every year. Currently, the fort is under the control of the Indian Army and is used to store ammunition.
Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Karnataka
The main deities of the Kukke Subrahmanya temple are Subrahmanya, Vasuki and Sesha, the serpent gods. The temple has the beautiful Kumara Parvata peak as its backdrop and is surrounded by the Kumaradhara river. Vasuki and other snakes are believed to have taken refuge in the caves at Subrahmanya. It is believed that visiting this temple will cure Sarpadosh.
Sheshanaga Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
According to Puranas, Sheshnaga, also known as the king of snakes, created a lake near Pahalgam. It is believed that Seshanaga still resides here and for this reason, a temple dedicated to the serpent god has been built on its banks. Pilgrims to the Amarnath cave visit this lake and worship Lord Sheshanaga. The wonderful environment and lush green vegetation of the religious place cool the mind of the visitors.
Naganath Swamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Naganath Swamy Temple in Thirunageswaram is a famous Shiva temple. The presiding deity of this temple is Ketu. Mythical snakes like Dakshan, Karkotaka and Adi Sesha Nagas are believed to worship Lord Shiva in this temple.
Agasanahalli Nagappa, Davangere – Karnataka
This is a temple built for Lord Narasimha in the form of Subrahmanya. The sanctum sanctorum has a naturally formed ant hill of Narasimha. A golden snake appears around the temple. Devotees come to the temple on Amavasya days to seek the blessings of the Lord. It got its name Agasanahalli because Sage Agastya meditated here.
Nagaraja Temple, Tamil Nadu
Located in the heart of Nagarakoil town, this temple with innumerable serpents, especially Nagar idols. The temple has two main deities – Krishna and Nagaraja, but also includes deities such as Ganesha, Shiva, Subrahmanya Swami and Dwarapalaka. The idol of Nagaraja is depicted as a five-headed serpent. The city of Nagercoil derives its name from the Nagaraja temple.
Ghati Subramanya Swamy Temple, Doddaballapura, Karnataka
Ghati Subramanya is an ancient Hindu temple located on the outskirts of Bangalore near Tubagere, Doddaballapur. It is located 60 km from the city and is a popular pilgrimage centre.
The uniqueness of this temple is that the main deity, Lord Kartikeya, is with Lord Narasimha. According to mythology, both idols emerged from the earth. It is also an important snake worship centre in South India. Ghati Subramanya has over 600 years of history. It was first developed by the Gorpads, the rulers of Sandur who ruled parts of Bellary.
