Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the State of Kerala in India is the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is believed to be the world’s richest temple. The history of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates back to 8th century. It is one of the 108 sacred Vishnu temples or Divya Desams in India. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu, reclining on Anantha, the hooded Serpent.

Marthanda Varma, noted among Travancore kings, did a major renovation to the temple and it resulted in the present day structure of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. It was Marthanda Varma who introduced the Murajapam and Bhadra Deepam festivals in the temple. Murajapam, which literally means continuous chanting of prayers, is still conducted in the temple once every six years. In 1750, Marthanda Varma dedicated the kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha. Marthanda Varma vowed that the royal family will rule the State on behalf of the Lord and he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa or the Servant of Lord Padmanabha. Since then the name of every Travancore King was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa. The donation of the kingdom of Travancore to Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thripadidanam.

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala takes its name from the presiding deity of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, who is also known as Anantha (one who reclines on the Serpent Anantha). The word 'Thiruvananthapuram' literally means - the Land of Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple as per belief is located at a place that is considered as one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras. There are references to the temple in texts like the Puranas, viz. the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana. The temple stands close to the holy tank - Padma Theertham, which means 'lotus spring.'

History of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Divakar Muni and the Holy Child
The story behind the Padmanabhaswamy Temple begins with the sage, Divakar Muni who was a staunch believer in Lord Vishnu and also deeply meditated in his name. One day the Muni noticed a child and felt paternal towards it, he never wished to let the child out of his sight, and thus pleaded the kid to never leave him. The child agreed, but on one condition, that he must always be treated with love and respect. In failing to do so, the child said that he would disappear and never return. The eager sage agreed and took care of the child and fondly tolerated the child's tantrums and mischief.

Breaking the Vow
Once when Divakar Muni was meditating, the child began mishandling the salagram, an instrument used by the Muni to worship Lord Vishnu. Enraged by this incident, the sage shouted at the kid, upon which the latter began the run from Divakar Muni. However, before leaving the child told the sage, "If you wish to see me again, you will find me again in Ananthankaadu", which is a present temple situated behind the present Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum.

Lord Vishnu's Magnificent Manifestation
This episode made the Muni realise that the child was an extraordinary being, and thus set on a mission to find the kid again. He gave up food, rest and sleep and continued along the route the child had taken. He spotted the child at a distance disappearing into a tree. When he neared, this tree fell and took the form of Shree Maha Vishnu - a divine avatar which was about 8 miles long. Terrified by this sudden manifestation, Divakar Muni requested Lord Vishnu to retract to his original self so that the former could worship him. Vishnu agreed and condensed three times the length of the Sanyasi's Yoga Dand.

Present Tradition and Belief
The sage immediately offered the Lord a raw mango in a coconut shell, which is a continued daily tradition in the temple even now. Lord Vishnu instructed that any devotion in the form of prayers or worship to him must be performed by Tulu Brahmins, which happens to be the reason why more than half the priests at the temple represent the Tulu region.

How To Reach Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Via Train : The Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway station is the closest station to Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple. It is just 600 meters away and can be covered with an 8-minute walk. Visitors can also board trains from the Kochuveli Railway Station which is 9 kms from the temple, approximately 17 minutes away.
Via Bus : Vizhinjam Bus Station is the nearest bus stop to the temple. It is only 16 km away and can be covered by a 30-minute journey on road.
Via Cab/Auto : You can hail a cab or auto-rickshaw from anywhere in the city at an economical cost. It is a quick and comfortable way to reach the temple.