Mannarasala Ayilyam 2024

Event date: 26-10-2024

Venue: Sree Nagaraja Temple, Mannarasala, Alappuzha, Kerala

Nestled in a serene forest glade, the Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple in Alappuzha District stands out with its unique feature: over 30,000 snake images embellishing its pathways and surrounding trees. Dedicated to the Serpent Gods, this temple is notable not only for its extensive snake imagery but also because a Brahmin woman serves as its priestess.

The temple’s primary festival, the Ayilyam Festival, takes place during the Ayilyam asterism in the Malayalam month of Thulam, which aligns with October or November. A key highlight of the festival is the grand procession, where all the serpent idols from the temple and the surrounding sacred grove are transported to the Illam, the ancestral home of the Brahmin family that oversees the temple. During this event, the priestess carries the idol of Nagaraja, the temple’s main deity, and special prayers and offerings are made at the Illam.