Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Temple
Subrahmanya village, Kadaba taluk, Dakshina Kannada district (on the Kumaradhara river, below Kumara Parvata) · Lord Subrahmanya (Kartikeya, Murugan) as Lord of Serpents, present together with the serpent-king Vasuki; with Adi Subrahmanya, Umamaheshwara and Kukke Linga shrines
India's foremost temple for naga dosha: the forest shrine where Subrahmanya dwells with the serpent-king Vasuki.
Kukke Shree Subrahmanya, in the rainforest of the Western Ghats below Kumara Parvata, is widely reported as Karnataka's highest-earning temple and is the country's best-known centre for naga aradhana (serpent worship). Subrahmanya is believed to live here with Vasuki, king of the nagas, who did penance on the river bank. Devotees come above all to remove sarpa dosha or naga dosha, an astrological affliction traced to harm done to snakes in this or past lives and blamed for childlessness, delayed marriage, skin disease and misfortune. The temple's three signature rituals are the two-day Sarpa Samskara, the Ashlesha Bali on the serpent star, and Naga Prathishte.
Timings
- Temple open (morning): 6:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Temple open (evening): 3:30 – 9:00 PM
- Closing: 9:00 – 9:30 PM
- Ashlesha Bali shifts: 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM
- Tulabhara: 10:30 – 11:00 AM
- Prarthana seva: After Mahapuja, about 12:00 noon and 7:30 PM
- Note: Per the Karnataka ITMS temple page and the temple's seva notice. Timings change on Champa Shashti, eclipses and festival days.
Darshan types and costs
- General darshan – Free
- Seva holders – With seva
Sevas and costs
- Sarpa Samskara with Naga Prathishte – ₹4,200 (includes dakshina to the purohit, kriya karta, brahmacharis and godana) (Two consecutive days; all days except Dashami, Ekadashi, Gokulashtami, Shivaratri,…)
- Ashlesha Bali – ₹400 (All days except Ekadashi and fasting days; three shifts at 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM…)
- Ashlesha Bali Udyapana – ₹400 (On completion of an Ashlesha Bali vow)
- Naga Prathishte (alone) – ₹400 (All days except Ekadashi and fasting days; receipt before 10:00 AM, homa purnahuti about…)
- Prarthana (prayer seva) – ₹100 (After Mahapuja, about 12:00 noon and 7:30 PM)
- Maha Rathotsava – ₹25,000 (Specific days only)
- Chikka Rathotsava (small chariot) – ₹8,000 (Specific days only)
- Chandramandala Utsava in the street – ₹6,000 (Specific days only)
- Panchamrita Mahabhisheka – ₹6,000 (Specific days only)
- Flower Chariot Utsava in the street – ₹5,000 (Specific days only)
- Sheshavahana Bandi Utsava in the courtyard – ₹3,000 (Specific days only)
- Palanquin Utsava with Deeparadhane – ₹2,500 (Specific days only)
- Sankshipta Seva (whole day, all deities) – ₹2,000 (+₹300 with Santarpana) (Specific days only)
- Mahapuja with Palanquin Utsava – ₹1,500 (+₹300 with Santarpana) (Specific days only)
- Night Mahapuja with Palanquin Utsava – ₹1,250 (Specific days only)
- Mahapuja (whole day) / (forenoon) – ₹400 (whole day) · ₹250 (forenoon) (Daily)
- Night Mahapuja – ₹150 (Daily, about 7:30 PM)
- Panchamrita Abhisheka (with Pavamana / with Kalasha puja / plain) – ₹100 / ₹100 / ₹75 (Mornings)
- Rudrabhisheka / Ksheerabhisheka – ₹75 / ₹50 (Mornings)
- Shesha Seva with Ashtottara – ₹100 (Daily)
- Archanas (Sahasranama / Trishati / Ashtottara) – ₹25 / ₹25 / ₹20 (Daily)
- Naivedya offerings (Harivana Naivedya, Chitranna, Halu Payasa, Panchakajjaya) – ₹100 / ₹100 / ₹100 / ₹15 (Daily)
- Dolotsava / Mantapotsava – ₹300 each (Evenings)
- Karthika Puja – ₹50 (Evenings)
- Nandadeepa (1 month) – ₹400 (One month)
- Tulabhara – ₹75 (value of items weighed is charged separately) (10:30 – 11:00 AM)
- Shashti Vrata Udyapana – ₹400 (On completing a Shashti vow)
- Life-cycle samskaras (Namakarana, Annaprashana, Choula, Karna vedha, Upanayana) – Namakarana ₹150 · Annaprashana ₹25 · Choula (tonsure) ₹25 · Ear-piercing ₹20 · Upanayana (Brahmopadesha) ₹500 (Daily)
- Satyanarayana Puja – ₹500 (On request)
- Santarpane / Mrishtanna Santarpane (feeding) – ₹200 (8 persons) · ₹500 (feast) (Daily)
How to book darshan
Sarpa Samskara can be booked online on the Karnataka Government's ITMS e-ticket portal for Kukke; other sevas are bought at the temple's seva counters (some are also listed online). The old website kukke.org no longer belongs to the temple – do not use it.
Book Sarpa Samskara (Karnataka ITMS)
Dress code
Men must remove shirt and banian (vest) for darshan, as the temple's official notice states; wear a dhoti/panche or trousers. Women: saree or churidar. Traditional dress is required for all sevas.
Best time to visit
October to March. Monsoon (June–September) is beautiful but very wet. Champa Shashti (Nov/Dec) is the big festival and very crowded; Ashlesha nakshatra days and Naga Panchami are busy for naga sevas.
How to reach
- air: Mangaluru International Airport, approx. 115 km (2.5–3 hours).
- rail: Subrahmanya Road station (Netlahalli) on the Mangaluru–Hassan–Bengaluru line, approx. 12 km away, with buses and jeeps to the temple. Mangaluru Junction approx. 100 km.
- road: KSRTC buses from Bengaluru (approx. 280 km, via Hassan and Sakleshpur), Mangaluru (approx. 105 km via Uppinangadi), Puttur (approx. 45 km) and Dharmasthala (approx. 55 km).
Festivals
- Champa Shashti Mahotsava – Margashira Shuddha Shashti (November/December), with surrounding days
- Kiru Shashti – Pushya month, after Champa Shashti (approx.; check dates)
- Naga Panchami – Shravana Shuddha Panchami (July/August)
- Nagaradhane and Ashlesha days – Monthly