Legend sthala purana · as told by tradition
Tradition holds that the serpent Vasuki and other snakes sheltered with Subrahmanya in caves here from Garuda; that Kumaraswamy and Ganesha killed Taraka and Shurapadma on nearby Kumara Parvata, after which Kumaraswamy married Indra’s daughter Devasena here; and that the place is one of seven sacred sites created by Parashurama.21
Documented history
Karnataka Tourism calls the temple 5,000 years old; that is a traditional age, and no dated record is cited for it.2
The Koojugodu Kattemane family administered the temple from the Ikkeri Nayaka period until the Karnataka Endowment Department took it over. After the death of Sri Padma Theertha in 1845 the priesthood passed to Shivalli Brahmins, and the Shri Subramanya Sabha was founded in 1908.1
Subrahmanya is worshipped here as merged with Vasuki, and the temple is sought for Ashlesha Bali and Sarpa Dosha rites.21
Where to go next
AI-created illustrationSources
- Encyclopedia Kukke Subramanya Temple — Wikipedia · accessed 2026-11-08
- Government Kukke Subramanya Temple — Karnataka Tourism, Government of Karnataka · accessed 2026-11-08
Researched 2026-11-08 from the cited sources. Community corrections are welcome; traditions differ, and differences are shown rather than resolved.