The Nairs of Kerala are traditional followers of the Shaktheya form of worship. Most prominent Nair families had the Goddess consecrated as their family deity in their houses. The Kariyam family of Sreekaryam in Thiruvananthapuram also had such a temple known as the Kariyam Devi temple. There are two legends about the origin of this temple. One says the Goddess arrived here by the boat with Matan and Nagaraja. Matan was consecrated near the Paanichal fields in front of the temple. Nagaraja was consecrated at Kariyathu Kavu. The Goddess chose to be at the place in Kariyath where the temple stands today. The other legend more says how a beautiful lady and two men arrived at the house of the eldest male member of the family. They said that they were coming from far away and wanted to stay there for the night. The eldest member of the family welcomed them and offered them tender coconut water and fresh Malar, fried paddy. That night he heard an incorporeal voice tell him that the visitors were the Goddess of Kodungalloor and her bodyguards, Matan Thampuran and Nagaraja. On waking up he found that his guests had disappeared leaving a lustre in the area. He started the construction of a temple to consecrate the Goddess. But he passed away before it could be completed. His descendants completed the temple and consecrated the Goddess in the sanctum. Ganapathy was also consecrated in the same sanctum. The members of the family used to conduct a festival once in three years with Bhadrakalippattu. Later when the property designated for temple use was misappropriated, the celebrations could not be conducted and the temple was neglected. After almost 40 years the devotees and the local people along with the family members renovated the temple. In 1957 the three forms of the Goddess, Vanadurga, Shanthidurga and Bhadrakali were consecrated on the horns of the antler. From 1980 onwards, the festival is also conducted in the field in front of the temple.