India is known for its diverse culture and rich traditions. It is home to countless temples, each sharing its tale of devotion and spirituality. While most temples follow traditional customs, a few temples have
carved their own path by embracing the unusual.
Among India’s vast spiritual landscape, Giresh Vasudev Kulkarni, founder of Temple Connect, shares 5 temples that stand out as symbols of faith while also sparking curiosity and wonder. The spiritual essence of these temples lies not only in their architecture, but in the incredible stories they tell, the unique rituals and the unwavering faith that draws bhakts from far and wide.
Kukke Subrahmanya Temple
Nestled on the banks of Kumaradhara in the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, Bhagawan Kartikeya is worshipped in this temple in the form of Subrahmanya, who is revered as the God of Serpents.
The uniqueness of this temple is the Ashlesha Bali Puja, performed on the Ashlesha Nakshatra, which is believed to remove any obstacles in one’s kundli related to sarpa dosha.
Another distinctive puja performed here is Sarpa Samskara. This is a more elaborate ceremony where a bhakt offers a serpent idol as a form of gratitude to remove any curse or hurdles in marriage, health, or prosperity. Not only that, it absorbs sins against serpents and also grants relief to the devotee.
Srikalahasti Temple
Located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Bhagawan Shiva is worshipped as Sri Kalahasteeswara, representing the combined forms of spider, snake, and elephant. This temple houses the famous Vayu Lingam (embodiment of air).
According to legend, Kannappa, a hunter‑devotee, was ready to offer both his eyes to stop the Vayu Lingam from bleeding. Deeply moved by his devotion, Bhagawan Shiva appeared, stopped him, restored his eyesight, and granted him salvation.
This religious site is also considered a Rahu Ketu Kshetra, which is why a unique Rahu-Ketu puja is performed here daily for the sarpa dosha nivarana. However, Sundays and Tuesdays are generally considered auspicious.
Ayyavadi Maha Prathyangiradevi Temple
Tucked away in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, the Ayyavadi Maha Prathyangiradevi temple is dedicated to Devi Prathyangiradevi, a powerful incarnation of Devi Adishakti. In this temple, idols of Devi Lakshmi and Devi Saraswathi are placed near Devi Prathyangiradevi. The temple is more than 1000 years old and holds relevance to the Mahabharata era as well.
A special ritual carried out called Nikumbala Homam with red chillies to invoke the blessings of Devi Varahi. People believe that the Homam removes evil eyes and black magic and averts any untimely death while bestowing good health, wealth, success, and confidence.
In the Yagya, done on Amavasya, more than 10,000 to 15,000 devotees attend the Havan. More than 1.5 to 2 tonnes of red chillies are offered in the Havan Kund, but not a single cough or tear is shed by the devotees, despite the pungent smoke. It is believed that the negative around you is consumed, and you are free from any black magic.
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
This Hindu temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and enshrines Devi Bhadrakali (Kannaki) as its presiding deity. The temple is known as the “Sabarimala for women” due to its annual festival – Attukal Pongala. It attracts millions of women from around the world.
The exceptional ritual at this holy shrine is the annual Attukal Pongala festival, which has entered the Guinness Book of World Records, as it is the largest religious gathering of women. During this ceremony, women prepare Pongala and offer it to the Goddess to appease her. Bhakts believe that Attukal Amma brings prosperity and blessings to their households. As this ritual is exclusive to women, men are not permitted to enter the temple grounds during the festival.
Kalbhairav Temple – Ujjain
Situated in the heart of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Kalbhairav (the fierce aspect of Bhagawan Shiva) is worshipped as the ‘Guardian of the City’ and is also considered a senapati. He is venerated mainly by the Kāpālika and Aghora sects.
The most interesting ritual here involves offering alcohol to the deity, which is one of the five practices in the Tantric Sadhna known as Panchamakara. The devotees are asked to hand over the liquor bottles, and the Pandits pour it into a dish near the deity’s lips. Miraculously, it disappears, signifying Bhairav ji consuming it. Around one-third of the bottle is returned to the devotee as a form of prasadam.
Since Bhairav ji’s vahan is a dog, most devotees feed dogs around the temple. Praying to Kalbhairav brings protection from negative forces, untimely death, and life’s fears. Despite Madhya Pradesh recently banning alcohol sales, the temple still practises the oblation of liquor.
