The sacred and revered Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram has to be one of the reasons why Kerala is known as ‘God’s Own Country.” Kerala has roots that go deep into the history and mythology of the land. It is believed to be the land that was reclaimed by Parasuram, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu on earth. Kerala is also referred to as Parasuram Kshetram (The Land of Parsuram).

There are many ancient temples and spiritual destinations in Kerala, apart from its beautiful beaches and famed Kerala backwaters, and right at the top of the list is the ancient Padmanabhaswamy temple of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Padmanabhaswamy temple is considered to be one of the richest temples in the world. However, the richness extends beyond the material sphere. It is a temple with a rich spiritual heritage and the beauty of the design. It is a grand structure with pure Dravidian architectural elements.

The Padmanabhaswamy temple is a true gem in more ways than one, it stands right in the middle of the bustling city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) as an exclamation mark on the cheek of time. The temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu has lent its name to the city, Thiruvananthapuram, which means, “The Holy Abode of Lord Ananta Padmanabha.”

Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Brief History | Legends

The origins of the magnificent temple are lost in the grey labyrinths of history. There is no documented historical evidence to confirm the origin of the temple, though many legends abound.

The temple is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Balaram, Krishna’s brother while on a pilgrimage to different holy places visits Phalgunam (Present-day Thiruvananthapuram), takes bath in the holy Panchapsaras which is believed to be the present-day Padmathirtham, and donates ten thousand cows to holy men in the region.

The Padmanabhaswamy temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy abodes of Vishnu and has been eulogized by early Tamil saints in Tamil literature. One of the legends of the origin of the temple says that the the the idol was consecrated by a Tulu Brahmin mendicant, named Divakara Muni, who was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. According to the legend, pleased with the penance of Divakara Muni, Lord Vishnu appeared before him as a child.

Divakara Muni was bewitched by the innocence of the child and requested him to stay with him. The child agreed but with the condition that he would leave if Divakara Muni ever chastised him. The boy started living with Divakara Muni.

One fine day when Divakara Muni was meditating, the boy put the holy Saligrama in his mouth and made noises and created a racket. Disturbed by the noise, Divakara Muni was angry and chastised the child, who immediately ran away. Before running away, the child told Divakara Muni, that he could find him in Anantakadu if he ever wished to see him.

Divakara Muni followed the boy’s footsteps and saw him disappearing into a tree. The tree then fell down and assumed a massive form of Maha Vishnu. Divakara Muni then prayed to Lord Vishnu to reduce his size so that he could see him, to which the Lord agreed and reduced his size. The idol of Vishnu as Anantashayana in the Padmanabhaswamy temple is believed to be the same idol. To this day the priests who worship at the temple are Tuluva Brahmins.

The credit for the massive and grand temple that is seen today goes to the famous king Sree Anizham Thirunal Veerabaala Marthanda Varma, who was the king of Travancore between 1729 to 1758. The importance of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple to the royal family of Travancore can be gauged from the fact that in 1750, Martanda Varma, donated his kingdom to the deity, Padmanabhaswamy, and ruled on his behalf. He assumed the title of Padmanabhadasa (Servant of Padmanabha-Vishnu). This practice was followed by his successors too.

Main Attractions Not To Miss At Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Here are the striking features within the Padmanahaswamy temple that you must not miss while visiting it. They are sure to leave you spellbound.

The Reclining Image of Ananta Padmanabha At The Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The main attraction of the Padmanabhaswamy temple that draws devotees from far and wide is the deity who graces the sanctum sanctorum.

The original deity was made of wood, however, in the 18th century, King Marthanda Varma had a new 18 feet idol sculpted using sand, herbs, and resins, and 12,008 Saligrama stones. Today, the reclining 18-feet idol of Ananthashayana Vishnu can be seen through 3-doors. You need to focus on the image with full concentration as there is no artificial light used inside the Sanctorum.

The Sreeballipura (Temple Corridor) Of Padmanabhaswamy Temple

One of the most remarkable features of the temple is the massive rectangular and covered corridor that surrounds the sanctum sanctorum. The corridor is supported by 365 and 1/4 pillars that represent the days of the year. According to the temple records, the Sreeballipura was completed in 6 months with the help of 4,000 stone artisans, 6,000 labourers, and 100 elephants working daily.

The Gopuram (Entrance Tower) Of Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Gopuram is an important feature in South Indian temple architecture. A seven-storey tall Gopuram stands on the eastern entrance of the Padmanabhaswamy temple, which has 9 entrances. The Gopuram towers to a height of 35 metres and the sculptures of the 10 avatars of Vishnu adorn it.

Other Important Shrines In Padmanabhaswamy Temple

There are smaller shrines to other deities within the precincts of the main temple. The most important of these is the Thekkedom, a shrine to Narasimha, the 4th avatar of Lord Vishnu. Another temple called Thiruvambadi is dedicated to Lord Krishna, the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple Timings

Morning Darshan Timings

03:30 am to 04:45 am, 06:30am to 07:00am, 08:30am to 10:00am, 10:30am to 11:15am, 11:45am to 12:00 noon.

Evening Darshan Timings

05.00 pm to 06.15 pm, 06:50pm to 07:20pm.

What You Need To Know Before You Visit Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Thiruvananthapuram

Here is some important information to keep in mind while visiting the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple Entry

• Entry inside the temple is allowed only to those practising the Hindu religion

Padmanabhaswamy TempleDress Code

• A special and strict dress code is enforced at the temple
• For men, the dress code is Dhoti and Angavastram (upper cloth), or dhoti without Angavastram (Bare-chested)
• The dress code for women is Sarees, modern dresses like Salwar are not allowed, they can wrap a dhoti around pants or other western wear for entry into the temple
• You can buy dhotis outside the temple premises at the many stalls that sell them, they are available from INR 50 to INR 150

Photography At Padmanabhaswamy Temple

• Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple
• Cameras, mobile phones, and all electronic items are not allowed inside the temple
• You can leave your bags and equipment at the deposit lockers available outside the temple

How To Reach Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Padmanabhaswamy temple is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The address of the temple is, West Nada, Fort, East Fort, Pazhavangadi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695023.

Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to all major cities and towns in Kerala and across India. The international airport has flights to and from major national and international destinations.

• The temple is about 3 kilometres from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
• The temple is just 750 metres from  the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station
• The temple is about 1.6 kilometres from the Central Bus Station of Thiruvananthapuram
• Thiruvananthapuram is about 200 kilometres from Kochi
• Thiruvananthapuram is about 90 kilometres from Kanyakumari

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We were on an 8-day South Kerala tour that was organized by KTM. The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are our own. #ktm #keralatourism #kerala

 

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