VENGERI SUBRAMANIAN

Prathishta / Presiding Deity : Muruga
Upadevatha / Sub Deities : xx
District: Calicut
Thaluk: xx
Panchayath: Vengeri
Thanthri: xx
Trustee: xx


The Vengeri Sri Subrahmanya Swami temple is believed to have a history of more than a thousand years. Unlike other temples in the vicinity, the entire structure is situated on the top of an elevated land. It’s known among devotees that Lord Subrahmanya loves to live on highlands and hilltops. The legend that depicts the origin of the temple goes like this.

Sometimes during the golden era of Indian culture, sculpture, tradition and philosophy, a group of brahmins from Thanjavur happened to travel to West for some reason. Along with their articles, they were carrying an idol of lord Muruga also. While crossing the land where the temple stands now, the team decided to pause and take some rest.

They put their head loads down. Kept the Muruga idol behind a Venga tree, and for safely they leaned the idol towards the tree and moved to the nearby river for bath and washing. Once they finished and come back to get the idol back, to their surprise, they found that the idol was stuck there and remained unmovable.

The Brahmins tried their best to get their sculpture back, but all efforts ended up in vein. Later they realized that, the place they kept the idol was a sacred land and that’s the right location to construct an abode for the lord and worship him. They found similarities to Palani there. There was a beautiful stream on the North with fresh water. The soil on the land smelt sandal and appeared in bright saffron in colour.

The serenity of the place fascinated the Brahmins. They realized that it’s Lord Subrahmanya’s wish to sit there and bless the humanity. With the help of people living in the village they constructed a beautiful temple for Subrahmanya Swami. The temple was totally in Kerala architecture style and within short period of time, become very famous.

As the God himself found leaning towards the Venga tree, the temple is called Vengachari temple (chari means “leaning towards” in Malayalam).Venga Chari became Vengeri and later on, the village where the temple is situated also called after the temple as Vengeri.

The temple was in ruins for a long period and devotees were having a tough time due to the ire of the God. It was in 1990, the temple renovation works started, and within few years Sreekovil and Nalambalam structures completed and resurrected in to the glory with Puna-pathishta of the God and started daily pooja. Now eminent committee of devotees takes care of the daily routine, special programs and annual festivals of the temple.

Venga is one of the favourite trees of Lord Subrahmanya. In Skanda Purana, from verses 14 to 24, consists the story of Lord Muruga tries to persuade Valli to marry him. When Valli’s father appeared in the scene, Lord himself has taken the form of a Venga Tree to disguise from him.