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Navagraha Temples -
IX
Kethu
 The temple for Lord Kethu is situated in
Keezhperumpallam, Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. One can reach this holy place via the Sirkali-Poompuhar Road.
When the Devas and Asuras
churned the ocean of milk with the Manthira mountain as the churning stick and snake Vasuki as the rope, the snake, unable to bear the pain, emitted poison. The Devas and the Asuras feared the ill-effects of the poison and prayed to Lord Shiva. The Lord swallowed the poison, but Goddess Parvathi rushed to prevent His swallowing the poison and so it stuck in His neck. Because of this, the Lord is called ‘Neela Kandar’ – His throat turned blue with the poison.
The enraged Asuras, disappointed as the nectar was denied to them, flung Vasuki away. The snake fell in a bamboo forest and was nearly breathing its last. Since it’s life, which was in its mouth, went to its head, it survived. It prayed to Shiva for forgiveness and so the Lord appeared before the snake, pleased with its prayers.
He blessed the snake to be enshrined in a temple in the bamboo forest and relieve devotees from the ill-effects of ‘Kethu’, one of the
Navagrahas.
In this temple, Lord Kethu faces west in the north praharam. He appears with the body in divine form, his head as a five-headed snake and hands folded in prayer.
The planets Kethu and Raahu are known as ‘Chaaya Grahangal’. Kethu blesses one to reach the heavenly abode. If Kethu is strong in one’s horoscope, the person will be spiritually inclined and indulge in religious activities after middle age.
The other names for Kethu are Kaalan, Thooyakethu, Magakethu, Logakethu, and Sarvakethu. He belongs to the direction of ‘Vaayu’. The stars that fall under Kethu are Ashwini, Maham and
Moolam.
One can get relief from Kethu dhosham if one performs archanai to Lord Vinayaka, wears vaidoorya mani (cat’s eye) and donates ‘kollu’ (horse gram). The flower 'selvamalli', multi-coloured cloth, vaidooryam, ‘thirykal’ metal, the bird eagle and ‘kollupodi’ rice are this Navagraha’s favourites.
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