Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple (a.k.a Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple) is one of the 'Must visit temples in India'.
Important Info
- Best Time : Early morning
- Entry Fee : NIL
- Time Required : 1 - 2 hrs
- Dress Code : Dhothi & Saree
- Mobile Phone : Not Allowed
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram - the capital city of Kerala. The main attraction of this temple is the 18 feet high Lord Vishnu idol, that can be seen through the three main doorways. This temple is dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu (Padmanabha) and the idol of the deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is in a reclining position on the serpent Anantha. The idol of lord Vishnu is seen in a special posture, and you cannot see this spectacle form of him anywhere else.
The temple is constructed in Dravidian style of architecture with the mixed blend of Kerala style and Tamil style of architecture. The diety is made from 10008 Saligrams. Each of these Saligrams has come from the banks of Gandhaki River in Nepal.
This temple is owned by the royal family of Travancore, who even today, start their day taking blessings from the deity. When the Royal family visits the temple, the general Darshans are paused for a while.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple was established by Travancore family. This temple is one of the richest temple in India, where billions worth of jewels have been found sealed in an underground vault and the court had appointed a committee to evaluate the riches. The priceless treasures are still remaining safe in this temple’s vault. Today, it is the world's richest temple surpassing even the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Travel Tips
- Non-hindus are not allowed inside the temple.
- Cell phones, Cameras or any electronic devices like Smart keys are not allowed inside the temple premise.
- One can use the locker facility outside the temple to keep their cell phones and camera.
- Wearing traditional mundu (dhothi) is mandatory for men.
- Wearing saree with blouse is mandatory for women.
- Limited parking area near the temple.
Padhmanabhswamy TempleTimings:
03.30 am to 04.45 am (Nirmalya Darshanam)
06.30 am to 07.00 am
08.30 am to 10.00 am
10.30 am to 11.10 am
11.45 am to 12.00 Noon
05.00 pm to 06.15 pm
06.45 pm to 07.20 pm
Traveler's Experience
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Detailed Information
History
On 17 January 1750, the then reigning King of Travancore Anizham Tirunal Sri Marthanda Varma surrendered the Kingdom to Lord Padmanabha and thus assumed the title of Padmanabha Dasa. His decree was that all his successors should follow the tradition without fail in letter and spirit and this decree had been followed till Travancore’s accession to the Indian Union. The Royal family still considers Lord Padmanabha as their true King and themselves as His servants carrying out their respective duties towards the King. This is the only instance in the history of the world where the Supreme Lord has been the Constitutional head of state even with political and legal sanction. This was recognized even by the British Raj in India.
Facts about Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Serpent Anantha or the five snakes guarding above Lord Vishnu are inclined inwards which symbolizes that Lord Vishnu is in contemplation mode. Lord’s right hand is placed on Shiva Lingam. On his either sides is Goddess of Prosperity – Sridevi, and Goddess of Earth – Bhudevi. Lord Brahma emerges on the lotus and you can see Shiva on his side too.
The idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is made up of 10008 Saligrams that compose the reclining lord. They are special because they are from Nepal, from the banks of river Gandhaki and they were brought to the temple with all pomp and gaiety on elephant top. On top of them "Katusarkara Yogam", Navaratnams, a special Ayurvedic mix, was used to give a plaster. Followers believe that the Lord has personally come in disguise and had saved many times the Travancore Kingdom from the clutches of enemies.
Mystery Vaults
Inside temple premises, there are various chambers which are only opened a few times a year. These chambers have been named Vaults A, B, C, D, E, and F to simplify the process. All the other vaults except Vault B have one trillion dollars of treasure hidden inside them. But what is behind the doors of Vault B? No one knows and no one ever will because it is forbidden to open the doors of Vault B. The gate of the vault is made of solid thick gold walls.
It is believed that behind the doors of chamber B lies a secret door which had been fixed by siddh purashas by ‘naga bhandham’ in the 16th century. It can only be opened by a saint who knows the knowledge of ‘naga bhandham’ while chanting Garuda Mantra. If someone ever tries to open the door by human effort, the catastrophic events will follow, it is believed. Is the temple protected by some divine intervention? We will have to make our peace with the never-ending mystery.
