Padmanabhaswamy Mandir, Kerala, IN

Deities: Lord Vishnu
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Built in: 1600
Main Attraction: Massive idol of Lord Vishnu
Best time to visit: April-Feb Nov
STD Code: 0471

Padmanabhaswamy temple is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu, located inside the Fort in city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The temple is one of the 108 divya desam the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu and the main deity, Padmanabhaswamy is a form of Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yognidra). This is an ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram derives its name from the name of the presiding deity enshrined in the temple.

This is an ancient temple and has been revered by the Tamil hymns of the Alwar Saint Nammalwar of the 1st millennium CE. Eight shrines in Kerala and has mentioned Tirupuliyur in one of his hymns.

This temple enshrines an imposing image of Vishnu, in the Anantasayanam posture; an image viewed through three doors in front of the shrine. The original image was of wood; the current image was fashioned out of 1200 saaligramams which were specially brought down for this purpose and moulded into shape with a special paste kadusarkara - a mixture of lime, granite, molasses and mustard. Vishnu is viewed through three doors in a row - the face on the southern side, the feet on the northern side and the nabhi (navel) in the middle. Padmanabhan is enshrined in the yoganidhra posture, reclining on Aadiseshan - (making offerings of vilvam to a small Shiva lingam, to his right).

The sanctum of this temple is fashioned in the style of the temples of Kerala, while the surrounding walls and the towers resemble that of the Tamil (Dravidian architecture) temples. Interesting murals adorn the outer walls of the sanctum. There are shrines to Narasimha, Hanuman and Krishna near the sanctum.

The flagstaff is enclosed in a casing of gold. The Kulasekhara mandapam near the flagstaff has fine sculptures dating back to the 17th century. The long prakaram, with a terraced roof with 324 columns, measures 540 feet by 325 feet, and is about 24 feet wide. It has two rows of granite pillars, and every pillar bears an image of a Deepalakshmi. Also here are images of yalis (mythological animal), with non removable stone balls in their mouths.

‘Feast of light’- the phrase may seem a bit clichéd to you. But when you get a glimpse of the grand Padmanabhaswamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram when the majestic structure gets decked out with one hundred thousand lights (lakshadeepam), you will feel renewed. This event of decorating the temple with lights is held once in six years as the culminating ritual of Murajapam, a 56 day- long chanting of sacred verses. On this day, the images of Lord Padmanabha, Lord Narasimha and Lord Krishna are taken out on Garudavahana (the mythological eagle which is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu) in a grand procession.

Legend:
Sage Divakara prayed to Lord Krishna for his darshan. Lord Krishna came in disguise as a small boy who was very mischievous. Once the small cute boy swallowed the Saligrama which was kept in Puja. The Sage got enraged and started chasing the boy and finally the boy hid himself behind the tree. Then, the tree fell down and became Lord Vishnu in Sayana Kolam (lying posture) around kilometers. The Sage then prayed Lord Vishnu that he could not pray him fully as his form is so huge. Immediately, the Lord shrunk himself and told the sage that they would worship through three doors. First one where the Lord Vishnu offers worship to Lord Shiva, the second entrance is Lord Brahma praying Lord Vishnu from his lotus navel and third is Lord Vishnu holy feet which leads to salvation. There is also a view that the original Murti which was made of the wood of that tree got burned during a fire that engulfed the temple complex, which was a sign of the unhappiness of the lord with the then king.

Festival:
In the October/November months of every year, there is held the Navaratri Festival of musical concerts at the Navaratri Mandapam, adjacent to the main building of the temple. Only Hindus are allowed inside and dress regulations are strictly followed. Ten-day festivals are held during Meenam (March-April) and Thulam (September - October). These are marked by Kodiyetram (flag-hoisting) on the first day, Pallivetta (hunting) and a procession on the ninth day and Aaraattu on the tenth day, when the deity is taken in a colourful procession to the sea and given a sacred dip. Thousands of devotees witness this grand ceremony.

It is a temple vibrant with tradition, having been associated for years with the arts and music. The rulers of Travancore have held this temple in the highest regard. Even today, an elaborate worship protocol is followed in the strictest sense and this is one of the best maintained temples in India.

Other Temples in Kerala:
Koodalmanikyam Temple
Kulathupuzha Temple
Guruvayur Temple
Attukal Bhagavathi Temple

How to reach:
by Air: Kerala is well connected to major cities of India. International airlines also fly to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
by Rail: There are around 200 railway stations in Kerala connecting most of the places in the state to places in the other parts of India and inside the State.
by Road: Major modes of road transport are buses, tourist taxis, cars, autos etc. State is connected with other parts of South India by a number of National Highways.

Visit www.eTirth.com for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

If you love to read visit www.KathaVarta.org for Religious stories.

Last but not least, if you want to visit above Holy Pilgrimage, please contact and visit our associate partner www.YatraKhoj.com and e-mail at yatrakhoj@yahoo.com.