There are shrines for Ganapathy, Dakshinamurthy, Krishna, Dharma Sastha, Yakshi, Kuruthikaman and Panchami around the corridor – prakara. The famous Nagaraja Temple (a snake temple) is in Mannarasala one kilometer from this temple.

Devotees pray to Lord Muruga here seeking child boon, removal of obstacles in marriage efforts and for excellence in education

There was an old temple in this place about five thousand years back. In a fire accident in the year 1096, excepting the presiding deity, everything in the temple was destroyed. The present temple was constructed later. As the history of the temples dates far back before the Lord’s wedding, His consorts Valli and Deivanai are not installed in the temple.

Demon Surapadma was harassing the Devas in the celestial world.  When he was attacked, numerous demons were born from each drop of his blood.  They were terrorizing the world.  Surapadma had a boon from Lord Brahmma that he could be killed only by a child of seven months of age.

Six sparks that came from the eyes of Lord Shiva mingled together and became a child named Karthikeyan.  (The story in Tamilnadu is that Surapadma was killed by Lord Muruga when He grew into a boy.  In Kerala, the story is different.)  The child was taken care of by Mother Parvathi up to seven months.  When Surapadma came to kill the child, the child took a huge form – Vishwarupa – and killed the demon.

The child did many miracles then.  The child taught its own Father.  It undertook the creation of world for sometime.  When the child came to Kerala, the place of Sage Parasurama, Lord Vishnu (Hari) greeted the child with welcome songs.  As Hari sang here –Padu – the place came to be known as Haripadu.

Lord Hari (Vishnu) asked his nephew (Muruga) to stay in the place and grace the devotees.