In a valley of the Western Ghats at Kukke in the Dakshina Kannada region of Karnataka, on the bank of the Kumaradhara river, stands the celebrated Kukke Subramanya temple, one of the foremost shrines of Lord Subramanya (Kartikeya), worshipped here in his aspect as the lord of serpents. Tradition holds that the divine serpent Vasuki and other nagas took refuge with Subramanya at this spot, and so the Lord is revered as their protector.
Kukke Subramanya is above all the great centre for the remedy of Sarpa Dosha and Naga Dosha — the afflictions traditionally associated with serpents — and devotees throng here to perform the Sarpa Samskara and Ashlesha Bali rites. Set amid lush green hills, Kukke Subramanya is among the most revered pilgrimages of coastal Karnataka.
