The unsung tales of Kerala: Sarpa kavu

As Kerala, the earth of immense cultural heritage, witnessed the massive pulverization of joint families and its inherent age old customs and traditions, the land is growingly getting dried of its rich aesthetics but more prominently the staunch beliefs of the yore. Snake worship was a quintessential conviction of Kerala, every tharavadu (ancestral home) carried an ancient sarpa kavu of its own, and the entire inmates of the family offering vows and pooja to the snake gods throughout a year. Kerala has about 5000 Sarpa kavu to its pride, most of them getting increasingly endangered.

Sarpa kavu refers to the abode of serpent gods, which are thick havens of rich innate varieties of flora and fauna with a wealth of snakes reigning as gods. These forests have idols of Naga devatas and Naga devas for Nagaradhana( snake worship). People across south India practice serpent worship intensely, especially the Nairs, Ezhavas, Arayas etc. Once in a year they conduct prayers and offer turmeric, tender coconut, milk, jaggery, fruits etc that serve food to the rodents which in turn form food for the poisonous snakes like King cobra. The thick foliage enveloping these forests is actually full of medicinal herbs that are an effective cure to the venomous snake bites.

These sarpa kavu was not just the abode to snakes and rich fauna; every snake temple consisted of a perennial water body like a fresh pond adjacent to it and hence formed a vital support to the nearby villages. These were the last welcoming resort to numerous plants and animals in the hot summer. The sacred grove also forms a sanctuary to plenty of endemic varieties of flora and fauna, which are increasingly getting extinct. The 85 year old Bhavaniyamma from Palakkad laments about the destruction of a huge sarpa kavu at her tharavaadu, which had a memorable past of 300 years, by her son while constructing an imposing house on top of it. In order to escape from sarpa dosham, he had built a small snake temple with two three idols and left just one huge tree, a token to remember one whole rich sanctuary of plants and animals. Today, a good number of families take the deities to Mannarashala temple, Pambummekkattu temple and Ameda temple to get away from the horror of Sarppa Dosham.

The government has comprehended the colossal number of sarpa kavus fading from our history. Realizing the importance to our eco system, it has launched a state wide campaign to create awareness among the people. In the initial stage, the Kerala government gives Rs 20,000 to trusts that own these groves to identify the rare trees and herbs found there. In the long run, the government also plans to help the dilapidated families that own sarpa kavus.
For the new youngsters who have never known the tale of Thakshaka in the myths, it’s high time we enlightened them with the existence of legendary sarpa kavu in kerala, at least an ultimate visit to any one of them, before the last of its kind vanishes from this world.