Perunna Subrahmanya Swami Temple



Perunna Subrahmanya Swami Temple is a Hindu temple located at Perunna neighbourhood in Changanacherry. The deity of the temple is Subrahmanya Swami (Kartikeya), one of the three sons of Lord Shiva. This temple is famous for its 'Pallivetta' utsav.

This is the first temple in Kerala which was opened to all Hindus (irrespective of the caste), before the order of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma of the Kingdom of Travancore by Mannathu Padmanabhan Hearing this incident Mohandas Gandhi during his first visit to Kerala came to the temple and worshipped the Muruga. A grand ceremony and meeting were conducted at the east gate of the temple then.

Deity
In the temple, the furious form of Subrahmanya Swami is worshipped. The Vel is pointed downwards. Subrahmanya Swamy is worshipped here in the form of Devasenapathi, the supreme general of the holy forces. The deity is in an angry and furious mood as he had just killed Tarakasuran. He faces east as seen in most of the temples, and this is the only temple with a furious form. Mahaganapathi, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and serpent deities are the other deities.

Perunna inscriptions
Inscriptions in Vatteshuthu alphabet can be seen at the west gate of the temple. These are believed to be written in the 10th century, during the rule of Kulasekhara Koyiladhikari. Perunna is a holy place with a lot of temples.

Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Ayyappan, Mahaganapathi, Sarpa Deva, Rakshasa are other deities in this temple. Tuesday is an important day in the Temple. The pooja (rituals) are done by Nambudiri Brahmin priests. December–January are time of festival at the Temple.