South into Onattukara: Mannarasala's serpent grove of thousands of snake idols, Haripad's ancient Murugan temple, Chettikulangara's great Devi shrine and the old granite Buddha of Mavelikara.
Highlights: Serpent grove shrine, Haripad Murugan, Chettikulangara Devi, Mavelikara Buddha
Itinerary
6:30 AM — Pickup Alappuzha railway station · Alappuzha KSRTC bus station · your hotel in town (Temples first, before 11)
7:30 AM — Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple Serpent shrine in a sacred grove, its paths lined with thousands of snake idols. (Dress code · see below)
9:00 AM — Haripad Subrahmanya Temple Ancient temple of Murugan in Haripad town. Breakfast nearby, own expense. (Morning darshan)
10:30 AM — Chettikulangara Devi Temple Onattukara's great Bhagavathy shrine, home of the Kumbha Bharani festival. (Before noon)
11:45 AM — Mavelikara Buddha Granite Buddha found in the Achankovil river, at Buddha Junction. Lunch in Mavelikara, own expense. (Free · roadside)
2:30 PM — Drop-off Alappuzha station, KSRTC bus station, your hotel or houseboat jetty
Good to know
🛕 Temple rules: Most Kerala temples admit only Hindus inside; other guests see the gateways, groves and ponds from outside. Men: shirts off and dhoti or trousers; women: saree, churidar or long skirt. Footwear stays in the vehicle.
🐍 Mannarasala: The temple opens early and closes late morning, so it is our first stop. Stay on the paths in the grove and don't touch the idols. Ayilyam festival days bring huge crowds — on those dates we change the order or the day.
🔱 Festivals: Chettikulangara's Kumbha Bharani (Feb–Mar) brings towering decorated floats; on normal days the temple is calm. Ask us for festival dates — some are sold as private event trips.
🚉 Pickups: Railway station first, then the KSRTC stand, then hotels in town — we share exact times the evening before. Drop-off in the same places, or at your houseboat jetty.
