Famous Temples in India

SREE PADMANABHA SWAMY TEMPLE

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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God

Sri Anantha Padmanabha swamy is the main deity of this temple, who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Here Lord is facing in East direction which measures 18 feet in height. The marvelous idol of Sree Padmanabha swamy is seen reclined on the mighty five hooded serpent Anantha. The supreme God is in conscious cosmic slumber with the head positioned to the south and the feet to the North. Anantha (or the endless) spreads its hoods above the head of the Idol. The three coils represent the three characteristics of mankind Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and its five hoods indicate the Panchendriyas(five senses) or the five elements(Panchabhootas). From the navel of the Lord emerges a lotus on which Lord Brahma, the Creator is seated. Just below the stretched right arm of the Lord is the Shiva Linga of the Destroyer.

Interesting Facts

  • The Temple has nine entrances, indicating the nine orifices of the human body.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is Winter season. The best months to visit are September to February.

Weather

Highest - April to June (38°C during day and 35°C during night)Average - May (32°C during the day and 25°C during night)Lowest - December to February (26°C during day and 21°C during night)Monsoon season - July to September

Dress Code

  • For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
  • For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
  • Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.

Do's & Dont's

  • Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
  • Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.
  • Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
  • Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.

transport connections

Name Distance Contact Number
Trivendram Bus Station
1 KM 9447071021
Trivendram Railway Station
1 KM 139
Trivandrum International Airport
9 KM 0471-2702600

Architecture

The temple derives his name from the position of Brahma seated on a lotus emanating from the Lord's navel. Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple is facing in East direction and constructed in Kerala and Dravidian style of architecture. The gopuram for which the foundation had been laid in 1566 was built during this period and the Rajagopuram is 100 feet. The Temple has a seven storeyed gopuram built on the Eastern entrance. It is a fine example of South Indian architecture an is exclusively in Dravidian style. It is about 35 meters height. On the top there are 7 golden domes suggesting pointers to the seven Worlds. The 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are portrayed inside the first storey of the gopuram. The other three entrances are double storied Padippuras in typical Kerala Style. Entry to the upper levels of the Gopuram is restricted and Dwaja Stambham is covered with Golden flag staff. An eighty feet high pole near the Eastern corridor was installed by Anizham Tirunal. A teak wood of this dimension was carried from the nearby forest to the temple. As per Sastras the wood should not touch the ground while in transport. The teak pole was then covered completely with gold foils. The apex of the flag pole has a figure of Garuda Swamy in kneeling posture. The Sanctum sanctorum or the garbhagriha of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and is placed on the stone slab.

Mandapams & Pillars : In 1758, during the reign of Sree Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma, the fabulous Kulasekhara Mandapam was build.It is a marvelous and fantastic architectural work on stone. It is also known as Aayiramkal Mandapam and Sapthaswara Mandapam. It is supported by 28 balustrades of pillars. The pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when taped. There are 11 mandapams in the Temple and 8 in the Padmatheertham pond.

Temple Walls : The outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Padmanabha and Sree Krishna are adorned with murals.Of these, the Ananthasayanam on the backside of the sanctum is termed as the largest one among the temple murals of Kerala and was painted by a Brahmin artist by name Chalayil Kalahasti.It is of 18 feet long.

This temple has a tank known as Padmateertham, the temple architecture stands out for its work in stone and bronze. The Idol which was made of Iluppa wood & the deity is made from 12,000 saligramams.

Religious Significance

Legend 1 : According to the legends Divakara Muni was a great Vishnu Bhakta. While at “Aanarthadesa” he performed deep penance. One day lord Vishnu appeared before the sage as a lovely child. The child attracted the attention before the Sage, he requests god to do stay with him. This was accepted and the child stays with him. He said to give great care and tolerated the childish pranks. One day the sage was in meditation at his prayers. The child took the Salagram which the sage using for worship and put it into his mouth and made a nuisance of himself. Then the sage chastised the child immediately the child ran away and disappeared from the spot. While going he said if you wish to see again you will find in ‘’Ananthankaadu’’. Finally, he reached a wooded area near the sea coast. The child disappears into a huge “Ilappa” tree. Immediately the tree fell on the ground and it assumed the form of sree Mahavishnu. The devine form has its head at "Thiruvallam" and its feet is at "Trippapur". Overawed by the majesty and the size of the divine form, which manifested before him, The Sanyasi prayed to the Lord to condense himself in size so that he could behold Him. There upon the image of the Lord shrank to a size, three times the length of the Sanyasy’s Yoga Dand. His prayers had been granted. He immediately offered a raw mango in a coconut shell (still this offering continues). The Lord ordained that, poojas to Him should be conducted by Tulu Brahmins. To this day half the number of priests in this Temple represent Tulu region.

Legend 2 : Another generally accepted version about the origin of the Temple relates it to the famous Namboothiri sanyasi Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar, whose name is linked with the histories of several temples in Southern India. This Swamiyar was also a Vishnu bhakta. The legend is almost identical with that of Divakara Muni referred above. It is said that, when Sree Maha Vishnu presented himself in the Ananthasayana rupa (in the form of reclining on Anantha) before the sage at Ananthankaadu, the latter had nothing worth while to offer Him. From a mango tree standing nearby, he plucked a few unripe mangoes and placed them in a coconut shell lying there and in all humility offered it as ‘nivedyam’ to the Lord. Even today salted mango forms a major offering. The original coconut shell has been encased in gold. It has also been the practice in the Temple for the past several centuries that the morning ‘pushpanjali’ is to be performed by a Namboothiri Brahmin sanyasi (designated Pushpanjaly Swamiyar) specially commissioned for this purpose. It is also believed that the small Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, located near the Western Swamiyar Madam (residence of one of the two Pushpanjali Swamiyars of the Temple) has been built over the Samadhi of Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar.

Puranas reference : The Temple has references in Epics and Puranas. According to legend the Sree Narasimhaswamy and Sree Sastha shrines were established after the installation of the idol of Lord Sree Padmanabhaswamy. There is mention in the ‘Bhagavatha Purana’ (chapter 10, chapter 79) that Sree Balarama visited “Syanandoorapuram” or “Ananthasayam” (Thiruvananthapuram) in the course of his pilgrimage. Similarly in the ‘Brahmanda Purana’ also there is a reference to “Syanandoorapura”. These references show that this temple is of great antiquity and has been held in veneration over the centuries as an important seat of Sree Maha Vishnu.

History

This temple was built in 8th Century by King Kotha Marthandan and renovated in 1758. Travancore kings are the contributors for this temple. In 1686 A.D. The Temple was almost fully destroyed in a major fire accident. Work on the re-construction of the Temple was started only in 1724. Srimad Bhagavatha says that Balarama visited this temple, bathed in Padmatheertham and made several offerings.

Temple Timings

Day Timings
All Days 03:30 AM - 12:00 PM 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Tours










Airports

Airport Name Distance
Shamshabad 40 KM
Lorem Ipsum 12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name Distance
Secunderabad 10 KM
Nampally 12 KM
Begumpet 6 KM
Lingampally 20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name Distance
MGBS 35 KM
CBS 28 KM
kukatpally 20 KM
Lingampally 30 KM
Uppal 35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name Distance Contact Number
Private Transport 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757
Private Transport1 8 KM 9546858757

Local Transports

Transport Name Distance Contact Number
Local Transport 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757
Local Transport1 5 KM 9546858757

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Nearest Attractions

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  Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Internationally renowned beach with 3 adjacent crescent beaches

Distance:13.9 KM
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Dam is situated on the banks of the river Karamana

Distance:17 KM
Museum KOYIKKAL PALACE
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Built for Umayamma Rani of the Venad Royal Family

Distance:19.1 KM
Outdoor HAPPY LAND WATER THEME amp AMUSEMENT PARK
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Only eco-friendly park with lots of trees

Distance:23.1 KM
Fort ANJENGO ANCHUTHENGU FORT
  Anchuthengu, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

16th Century fort constructed by the East India Company

Distance:31 KM
Wildlife PEPPARA WLS
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It was declared a sanctuary in 1983

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Trekking PONMUDI TREKKING
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Serves as trekker's paradise with several beautiful trails

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Hill Station PONMUDI HILL STATION
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SREE PADMANABHA SWAMY TEMPLE

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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