Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple - Haripad

Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple at Haripad is one among the oldest Hindu temples of Kerala enriched with the existence of the almighty lord Muruga. The temple is believed to be at least 3500 years old and was consecrated by lord Parasurama himself. There are several inscriptions in this temple in Tamil language. According to legend, the deity of lord Murugan here is believed to have been worshipped by Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of lord Vishnu himself. Few locals are believed to have had a dream revealing the fact that the deity worshipped by lord Parasurama was immersed in the nearby Kayamkulam lake.

They had supposedly retrieved this idol from the lake and ceremoniously brought it to Haripad. The traditional Payippad boat race is celebrated every year to commemorate this ceremonious procession of Lord Muruga’s deity to Haripad. Several historical scripts are said to be destroyed due to a major fire accident in the year 1921. The only inscription found in the temple revealed that the Koothambalam (temple theatre) was constructed in 1769 AD. The temple was initially under the control of Odanad (Kayamkulam) royal family. Later when Kayamkulam was merged with Travancore in 1734, the temple came under the control of Travancore Devaswom Board.