Nagercoiltemple

and According to the legends , once a woman was cutting the paddy crops in the field. While cutting, blood came out of the one bunch. The woman got scared and informed her experience to the people of the place. When people saw that place, they found a Nagaraj idol. They immediately built a hut around the Nagaraja. The king of Kerala, Marthanda Varma who was suffering from skin problems worshipped the Lord in this place and he got cured. Then he bulit a big temple here. This is the only big temple built exclusively for Nagaraja worship in Tamilnadu. Hence , the place is named as Nagercoil.

In the sanctum sanctorum, the presiding deity graces with the five heads.The dwaraphakalas of the temple are a male snake Darnendran by name and female snake named Padmavathi. It is believed that snakes are here safeguarding the temple. As a fact we know that , divine serpent Adisesha in the milk ocean serving as a bed to Lord Vishnu, was born as Lakshmana when Lord took the Rama Avatar. The birth star of the Lakshmana was Aslesha-Aayila. Based on this fact, people facing Naga doshas perform milk abishek to Nagaraja on this star day. Daily the milk abishek takes place exactly at 10.00 a.m. Paal Payasam is offered as nivedhana by the devotees and place naga idols in the temple. The sanctum sanctorum is a sand surface and wet as earlier it was a field . This sand is offered as Prasad. The wonder is that the sand is black during the Dakshinayana punya kala being the southward journey period of Sun covering the months July to December-February and white during the Utharayana Punyakala being the northward journey period of Sun covering the months February to December-January. Shrines of Lords Ananthakrishna and Kasi Viswanatha appear to the right of Nagaraja shrine. However, the last pooja of the day is the Arthajama pooja dedicated to Lord Ananthakrishna. Though Nagaraja is the presiding deity of the temple, kodimaram or flag post is for Lord Ananthakrishna only. Thai (tamil month) Brahmotsavam is also dedicated to the Lord only with car festival on Thai Poosam day. Aarattu and Krishna Jayanthi too are celebrated for Lord Ananthakrishna.

Nagas are children of Kashyapa and Kadru. Among the prominent nāgas of Hinduism are Manasa, Sesha, and Vasuki Ananda Krishna and Nagaraja.

The Nairs of Kerala and the ethnically related Tulu Bunts of Karnataka are clans which are believed to have originated from the serpent dynasty.

The nāgas also carry the elixir of life and immortality. Garuda once brought it to them and put a cup with elixir on the ground but it was taken away by Indra. However, few drops remained on the grass. The belief is that, nāgas licked the drops, but in doing so, cut their tongues on the grass, and since then their tongues have been forked.

Nagas are snakes that may take human form. They tend to be very curious. According to traditions, Nāgas are only malevolent to humans when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. They are also associated with waters—rivers, lakes, seas, wells—and are generally regarded as guardians of treasure.

They are objects of great reverence in some parts of south India where it is believed that they bring fertility and prosperity to their veneration. Expensive and grand rituals like Nagamandala are conducted in their honor.

The prominent nagas in puranas are

Vasuki, the King of the Nagas who helped the devas recover amrita from the ocean of milk,

Aadhi-Sesha, ("Limitless-Eternal") the serpent with a thousand heads,

Karkotaka, that controls weather.

Padmavati, the Nāgī queen & companion of Dharanendra.

Paravataksha, his sword causes earthquakes and his roar caused thunder.

Takshaka, tribal king of the Nāgas.

Ulupi, a companion of Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata.

Manasa, the Hindu goddess of Nagas and curer of snake-bite and sister of Vasuki

Kaliya, a snake conquered by Krishna in Yamuna river.

Matali, charioteer of Indra, Matali was also the charioteer of Lord Rama during the Lanka Battle