Ketu

About Ketu

Ketu is the headless tail of the asura Svarbhanu, sliced in two by Vishnu's discus after he sneaked a sip of amrita at the churning of the ocean. The head became Rahu; the tail became Ketu, granted a seat among the nine planets by Vishnu's boon. Prayers picture him smoke-hued and flag-shaped, two arms crowned with turquoise, riding a banner marked with a horse — hence the name Ashwadhvaja. His Stotram lists twelve fierce forms that torment the Sun and Moon during eclipses. Yet he is also Sarvavyadhivinashaka, destroyer of all diseases. Devotees chant 'Om Kem Ketave Namah' on Tuesdays at his Keezhperumpallam shrine.