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Introduction and History
The principal deity Padmanabhaswamy (Vishnu) is enshrined in the “Anantha Shayana” posture, the eternal yogic sleep on the infinite serpent Adi Shesha. Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the royal family of Travancore. The titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, is the trustee of the temple.
The Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to “The City of Lord Ananta”, (City of the Divine Serpent) referring to the deity of the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Chera style and the Dravidian style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century gopura.While the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla is considered the original seat of the deity (“Moolasthanam”), architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar.
Several extant Hindu Texts, like the Vishnu Purana, Brahma Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata mention this shrine.[citation needed] The Temple has been referred to in the (only recorded) Sangam period of literature between 500 BCE and 300 CE several times. Many conventional historians and scholars are of the opinion that one of the names that the Temple had, “The Golden Temple”, literally was in cognizance of the fact that the Temple was already unimaginably wealthy by that point.Many extant pieces of Sangam Tamil literature and poetry, and later works of the 9th century of Tamil poet-saints like Nammalwar, refer to the temple and the city as having walls of pure gold. At some places, both the temple and the entire city are often eulogised as being made of gold, and the temple as heaven.
The temple is one of the 108 principal Divya Desams (“Holy Abodes”) in Vaishnavism and is glorified in the Divya Prabandha. The Divya Prabandha glorifies this shrine as being among the 13 Divya Desam in Malai Nadu (corresponding to present-day Kerala with Kanyakumari District).The 8th century Tamil poet Alvar Nammalvar sang the glories of Padmanabha.The Ananthapuram temple in Kasaragod is believed to be the original seat of Padmanabhaswamy (“Moolasthanam”).
It is believed that Parasurama purified and venerated the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy in Dvapara Yuga. Parasurama entrusted ‘Kshethra karyam’ (Administration of the Temple) with seven Potti families – Koopakkara Potti, Vanchiyoor Athiyara Potti, Kollur Athiyara Potti, Muttavila Potti, Karuva Potti, Neythasseri Potti and Sreekaryathu Potti. King Adithya Vikrama of Vanchi (Venad) was directed by Parasurama to do ‘Paripalanam’ (Protection) of the Temple. Parasurama gave the Tantram of the Temple to Tharananallur Namboothiripad. This legend is narrated in detail in ‘Kerala Mahathmyam’ which forms part of ‘Brahmanda Puranam’.
Another version regarding the consecration of the Main Idol of the Temple relates to the legendary sage Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar. Swamiyar, who resided near Ananthapuram Temple in Kasaragod District, prayed to Lord Vishnu for his darshan or “auspicious sight”. The Lord is believed to have come in the guise of a little boy who was mischievous. The boy defiled the Idol which was kept for Puja. The sage became enraged at this and chased away the boy who disappeared before him. Realizing the boy was no ordinary mortal, the sage wept for forgiveness and asked for another darshan as a sign. He heard a voice say “If you want to see me come to the Anathavana (the unending forest or ananthakadu). After a long search, when he was walking on the banks of Laccadive Sea, he heard a pulaya lady warning her child that she would throw him in Ananthankadu. The moment the Swami heard the word Ananthankadu he was delighted. He proceeded to Ananthankadu based on the directions of the lady of whom he enquired. The Sage reached Ananthankadu searching for the boy. There he saw the boy merging into an Iluppa tree (Indian Butter Tree). The tree fell down and became Anantha Sayana Moorti (Vishnu reclining on the celestial snake Anantha). But the edifice that the Lord assumed was of an extraordinarily large size, with His head at Thiruvattar near Thuckalay Tamil Nadu, Body or Udal at Thiruvananthapuram, and lotus-feet at Thrippadapuram near Kulathoor and Technopark (Thrippappur), making him some eight miles in length. The Sage requested the Lord to shrink to a smaller proportion that would be thrice the length of his staff. Immediately the Lord shrank to the form of the Idol that is seen at present in the Temple. But even then many Iluppa trees obstructed a complete vision of the Lord. The Sage saw the Lord in three parts – thirumukham, thiruvudal and thrippadam. Swami prayed to Padmanabha to be forgiven. The Swami offered Rice Kanji and Uppumanga (salted mango pieces) in a coconut shell to the Perumal which he obtained from the pulaya woman. The spot where the Sage had darsan of the Lord belonged to Koopakkara Potti and Karuva Potti. With the assistance of the reigning King and some Brahmin households a Temple was constructed.The Ananthankadu Nagaraja Temple still exists to the north west of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The Samadhi (final resting place) of the Swamiyar exists to the west of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. A Krishna Temple was built over the Samadhi. This Temple, known as Vilvamangalam Sri Krishna Swami Temple, belongs to Thrissur Naduvil Madhom.
Mukilan, a Muslim marauder, invaded vast chunks of Venad in 1680 AD.He destroyed Budhapuram Bhaktadasa Perumal Temple owned by Neythasseri Potti. Mukilan had plans to plunder the vaults of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and destroy it. But he was dissuaded from doing so by local Muslims loyal to the Royals of Venad. Padmanabhan Thampi, arch rival of Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, marched to Thiruvananthapuram with his forces and tried to loot the vaults of the Temple. Thampi stayed at Sri Varaham and sent his mercenaries to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. It is said that divine serpents materialised in hundreds and scared away Thampi’s men. Emboldened by this heavenly intervention, Pallichal Pillai and local people opposed Padmanabhan Thampi and ensured that the mercenaries did not proceed with the misadventure.
There are many festivals associated with this temple. The major festivals are bi-annual. The Alpashy festival which is in October/November and the Panguni festival which is in Tamil month Panguni, March/April, lasts for 10 days each. On the ninth day the Maharajah of Travancore, in his capacity as Thrippappoor Mooppan, escorts the deities to the vettakkalam for Pallivetta. Centuries back, the Pallivetta procession was said to pass through Kaithamukku, Kuthiravattom (Kunnumpuram), Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram and Putharikkandam. The festivals culminate with the Aarat (holy bath) procession to the Shankumugham Beach. The word Aarat refers to the purificatory immersion of the deities of the temple in sea. This event takes place in the evening. The Maharajah of Travancore escorts the Aarat procession on foot. The festival idols “Utsava Vigrahas” of Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami are given a ritual bath in the sea, after the prescribed pujas. After this ceremony, the idols are taken back to the temple in a procession that is lit by traditional torches, marking the conclusion of the festival.
A major annual festival related to Padmanabhaswamy temple is the Navaratri festival. The idols of Saraswati Amman, Mun Uditha Nangai (Parasakti, who appeared before Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati to help them identify their husbands who had been transformed into infants by the power of chastity of Anasuya) and Kumara Swami (Murugan) are brought to the Kuthira malika palace in front of Padmanabhaswamy temple as a procession. This festival lasts for 9 days. The famous Swathi music festival is held every year during this festival.
The biggest festival in this temple is laksha deepam, which means hundred thousand (or one lakh) lamps. This festival is unique and commences once in 6 years. Prior to this festival, chanting of prayers and recitation of three vedas is done for 56 days (Murajapam). On the last day, hundred thousand oil lamps are lit in and around the temple premises.
Photos
Videos from YouTube
Presiding Deity
Lord Vishnu🙏
Timings
Temple remains open from 7AM to 8PM and
Alll days in week but the timings can be deffer on the festival days!
The months between September to January are the best to visit Mandir due to salubrious weather of the place. In Summers, it gets quite cold making it a bit inconvenient to travel.
Festivals
Durga Pooja,Holi, Ram Navami, Krishna Janmashtami, Narasimha Jayanti, Diwali, Onam, Vivaha Panchami, Vijayadashami, Anant Chaturdashi, Devshayani Ekadashi, Prabodhini Ekadashi and other ekadashis, Kartik Purnima, Tulsi Vivah etc…
Basic services
Drinking Water Cooler , CCTV Security, Prasad, Puja Samagri stalls etc..
Activities
Open the Darbar gates of Presiding Diety and pay Prayers after Bhagwan Subrabhat Bhauj.
Morning Vedic enchanting and Nature’s welcome (ethnic way).
Vedic Yagya- To purify our inner self for realization and world peace.
Tribute to five basic elements i.e. Land, Water, Sky, Fire and Air.
Pay the last pray of the day in evening after Presiding God Bhauj.
THINGS TO DO
MEDITATION
Discover inner peace and positive energy through the ancient practice of meditation
AYURVEDA
If you are looking for holistic physical healing through non-invasive methods, Ayurveda could be of interest to you.
ASTROLOGY
Wish to know more about your stars and your place in the firmament? Consult an astrologer.
ARADHANA and ARCHANA
Devotees and visitors come here to take experience of pure spiritualism and peace as they use to do visit every day and pray to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva🙏
Pooja, Aartis and Timing
Basically the Aartis to be perform as per the Concern Shraddhas of devotees and Concern Deities.
Believing Aartis are :
Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva Aarti, Bhauj at 6:10 AM and Jal Arpit to Surya Dev at 6:30
Maa Durga Aarti and Pooja at 6:40
Sita Maa , Bhagwan Ram, Hanuman Ji, Vishnu Bhagwan and Shiv Bhagwan Bhajans etc…
Nearby Interesting Temples
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple
Sreekanteswaram Temple
Mithranandapuram Trimurthi Temple
Agrasala Ganesh Temple etc..
Nearby Hotels
Click the link below to look upon the hotels-
Shops and Markets
Please click the links below to look upon Markets-
Latika Market
Khairali Handicraft
Pettah Market
People Bazar
Chalai Bazar
Fruite Nazar etc..
Restaurants
Please click the links below to look upon Restaurants-
Please click the link below to know about Golden Dragon Restaurant
Hotel Saravana Bhavan
Golden Fiesta
Govinda’s Restaurant etc…
Hospitals
Please click the link below to look upon hospitals-
NDIA HOSPITAL ( Unit of Manhattan Hospital Pvt Ltd)
Taluk hospital
General Hospital
Valiathura Government Hospital
Women and Children Hospital, Thycaud etc..
Concern Police Stations
Fort Police Station
Attakulangara, Trivandrum Vizhinjam Rd, Near Vanitha Jail, Manacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695023
☎️0471 246 1105
Vanchiyoor Police Station
Vanchiyoor Rd, Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695035
☎️0471 246 1129
Thampanoor Police Station Thiruvananthapuram
New Theatre Rd, Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014
☎️0471 232 6543
Names, phone numbers , photos and brief introduction of Pujaris, Archaks, Mahants and Management Committee.
Temples where ‘Swamiyar Pushpanjali’ is conducted are claimants to extra sanctity. Sannyasins from Naduvil Madhom and Munchira Madhom do pushpanjali (flower worship) daily to Padmanabha, Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami. Tharananallur Nambuthiripads of Iranjalakkuda are the Tantris of the Temple. The Nambies, altogether four in number, are the Chief Priests of the Temple. Two Nambies – Periya Nambi and Panchagavyathu Nambi – are allotted to Padmanabha and one Nambi each to Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami. The Nambies hail from either side of the Chandragiri River.
Miscellaneous information
Details to be taken.
Legal information
The temple is situated on legal site taking care by Mandir Committy, there is no legal obligation on Temple Property or Temple Schedule, Criteria, Adequates etc..
The temple and its assets belong to Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and were for a long time controlled by a trust, headed by the Travancore royal family. However, at the present, the Supreme Court of India has divested the Travancore royal family from leading the management of the temple.[37][38][39][40] T P Sundararajan’s litigations changed the way the world looked at the Temple.
In June 2011, the Supreme Court of India directed the authorities from the archaeology department and the fire services to open the secret chambers of the temple for inspection of the items kept inside.[41] The temple has six hitherto known vaults (nilavaras), labelled as A to F, for bookkeeping purpose by the Court. (Since, however, an Amicus Curie Report by Justice Gopal Subramaniam, in April 2014, has reportedly found two more further subterranean vaults that have been named G and H.) While vault B has been unopened over centuries, A was possibly opened in the 1930s, and vaults C to F have been opened from time to time over recent years. The two priests of the temple, the ‘Periya Nambi’ and the ‘Thekkedathu Nambi’, are the custodians of the four vaults, C to F, which are opened periodically. The Supreme Court had directed that “the existing practices, procedures, and rituals” of the temple be followed while opening vaults C to F and using the articles inside, while Vaults A and B would be opened only for the purpose of making an inventory of the articles and then closed. The review of the temple’s underground vaults was undertaken by a seven-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court to generate an inventory, leading to the enumeration of a vast collection of articles that are traditionally kept under lock and key. A detailed inventory of the temple assets, consisting of gold, jewels, and other valuables is yet to be made.
While vault B remains unopened, vaults A, C, D, E and F were opened along with some of their antechambers. Among the reported findings, are a three-and-a-half feet tall solid pure golden idol of Mahavishnu, studded with hundreds of diamonds and rubies and other precious stones.[42] Also found were an 18-foot-long pure gold chain, a gold sheaf weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb), a 36 kg (79 lb) golden veil, 1200 ‘Sarappalli’ gold coin-chains that are encrusted with precious stones, and several sacks filled with golden artefacts, necklaces, diadems, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, gemstones, and objects made of other precious metals.[43][44][45][46] Ceremonial attire for adorning the deity in the form of 16-part gold anki weighing almost 30 kilograms (66 lb), gold “coconut shells” studded with rubies and emeralds, and several 18th century Napoleonic era coins were found amongst many other objects.[3] In early 2012, an expert committee had been appointed to investigate these objects, which include lakhs of golden coins of the Roman Empire, that were found in Kottayam, in Kannur District.[47][48] According to Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller-and-Auditor-General(CAG) of India, who had audited some of the Temple records from 1990, in August 2014, in the already opened vault A, there is an 800 kg (1,800 lb) hoard of gold coins dating to around 200 BCE, each coin priced at over ₹2.7 crore (US$380,000).[49] Also found was a pure golden throne, studded with hundreds of diamonds and other precious stones, meant for the 18-foot-long deity. As per one of the men, who was among those that went inside this Vault A, several of the largest diamonds were as large as a full-grown man’s thumb.[50] According to varying reports, at least three, if not more, of solid gold crowns have been found, studded with diamonds and other precious stones. Some other media reports also mention hundreds of pure gold chairs, thousands of gold pots and jars, among the articles recovered from Vault A and its antechambers.
This revelation has solidified the status of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple as the wealthiest place of worship in the world. It is conservatively estimated that the value of the monumental items is close to a Trillion US dollars. If the antique and cultural value were taken into account these assets could be worth ten times the current market price.
As a reference, the entire GDP (revenues in all forms) of the Mughal Empire at its very zenith under Aurangzeb (in 1690), was a comparatively meagre US$90 billion in modern-day terms. In fact, at its richest, the Mughal “treasury” (in Akbar’s and Jahangir’s and Shah Jahan’s periods) consisted of seven tonnes of gold, along with eighty pounds of uncut diamonds, a hundred pounds each of rubies and emeralds and six hundred pounds of pearls.
Even with only the five smaller of the reported eight vaults being opened (the larger three vaults and all their ante-chambers still remaining closed), the treasure found so far, is considered to be by far the largest collection of items of gold and fully precious stones in the recorded history of the world.[60][61]
The valuables are believed to have been accumulated in the temple over several thousand years, having been donated to the deity (and subsequently stored there), by various dynasties like the Cheras, the Pandyas, the Travancore Royal Family, the Kolathiris, the Pallavas, the Cholas and many other kings in the recorded history of both South India and beyond, and from the rulers and traders of Mesopotamia, Jerusalem, Greece, Rome, and later, the various colonial powers from Europe, and other countries as well.Some people have suggested that a part of the stored riches reached the Travancore kings in the later years in the form of tax as well as conquered wealth of other South Indian kingdoms. Most scholars however believe that this was accumulated over thousands of years, given the mention of the Deity and the Temple in several extant Hindu Texts, the Sangam Tamil literature (500 BC to 300 AD wherein it was referred to as the “Golden Temple” on account of its then unimaginable wealth), and the treasures consist of countless artefacts dating back to the Chera, Pandya and Greek and Roman epochs. The ancient late-Tamil-Sangam epic Silappatikaram (c 100 AD to 300 AD at the latest) speaks of the then Chera King Cenkuttuvan receiving gifts of gold and precious stones from a certain ‘Golden Temple’ (Arituyil-Amardon) which is believed to be the Pasmanabhaswamy TempleGold had been panned from rivers as well as mined in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Wayanad, Kollam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts for thousands of years. The Malabar region (as a part of the “Tamilakam” region of recorded history) had several centers of trade and commerce since the Sumerian period ranging from Vizhinjam in the south to Mangalore in the north. Also, at times like the invasion by Mysore in the late 1700s, the other related royal families (of the Travancore Royal Family) in Kerala and the far south, like the Kolathiris, took refuge in Thiruvananthapuram and stored their temple-wealth for safekeeping in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Also, much of the treasures housed in the much larger and as-yet-unopened vaults, as well as in the much smaller cellars that have been opened, date back to long before the institution of the so-called Travancore Kingdom, e.g. the 800 kg (1,800 lb) hoard of gold coins from 200 B.C that was mentioned by Vinod Rai. Noted archaeologist and historian R. Nagaswamy has also stated that several records exist in Kerala, of offerings made to the Deity, from several parts of Kerala.[13] Lastly, it has to be remembered that in the Travancore Kingdom, a distinction was always made between the Government (State) Treasury (Karuvelam), the Royal Family Treasury (Chellam), and the Temple Treasury (Thiruvara Bhandaram or Sri Bhandaram). During the reign of Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, hundreds of temples that were mismanaged in the Kerala region, were brought under the Government. The excess ornaments in these temples were also transferred to the Vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Instead the funds of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple were utilised for the daily upkeep of these temples.
On 4 July 2011 the seven-member expert team tasked with taking stock of the temple assets decided to postpone opening of chamber B. This chamber is sealed with an iron door with the image of a cobra on it and it has not been opened, due to the belief opening it would result in much misfortune.The royal family said that many legends were attached to the temple and that chamber B has a model of a snake on the main door and opening it could be a bad omen. The seven-member team will consult with some more experts on 8 July 2011 and then they may take the final decision on opening of chamber B. An Ashtamangala Devaprasnam conducted in the Temple to discern the will of the Lord revealed that any attempts to open Chamber ‘B’ would cause Divine displeasure and that the holy articles in the other chambers were defiled in the inventorying process. The original petitioner whose court action led to the inventory taking, T.P. Sundarajan, died in July 2011, adding credence to those who believe in the folklore around the temple. Prior to this now-famous incident in July 2011, one of the several vaults in the Temple which was not any of the vaults B (untouched after the 1880s) or G or H (both rediscovered supposedly by the Amicus Curie only in mid-2014), was opened in 1931. This was possibly an antechamber of any of the vaults A, C, D, E or F that may not have been opened yet. This was necessitated due to the severe economic depression that India was going through as was the entire world. The Palace and State Treasuries had run almost dry. The small group of people including the king and the priests found a granary-sized structure almost full with mostly gold and some silver coins and jewels. Surmounted on top of it were hundreds of pure gold pots. There were four coffers filled with gold coins as well. Also found was a larger chest fixed to the ground with six sections in it. They were full of gold jewellery encrusted with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Besides these, were four more chests of old coins (not of gold), and they were carried back to the Palace and state treasuries for counting from.
Samajik Sahayat,Goshalas, Sadhus, Sants, Mahants, Famous Dharmik Writers/ Musicians/Dancers/ Craftsmen around the Temple.
Pashu Sewa, Pakshi SEwa, Langar Sewa, Vedic Pathshals.
There is a temple group of some devotees who use to role as band of temple as they do kirtans, Kathas and Narrating sewas time to time.
Mitra Mandal Link for Advice/Guidance*
Forms will be allow to fill for getting membership soon.
Modes of Travel
By Air:
Trivandrum Airport, located just 6 km away, is an international airport that connects this beautiful city with rest of India and world. As it is situated at the southern tip of Indian subcontinent, the airport serves as shortest point from India to Maldives and Sri Lanka. There are two main terminals here, Terminal 1 handles the domestic flights and Terminal 2 is for international airlines. Air India, IndiGo, Air Pegasus and Jet Airways operate regular flights for cities such as Bangalore, Dehradun, Delhi, Mumbai and Mangalore. Besides, there are regular flight options offered by most of the major carriers like Emirates, flydubai, Etihad Airways and SilkAir from Trivandrum Airport for Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Visitors can avail bus services or hire cabs to reach various destinations in the city, after landing at the airport.
By road:
Several KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) buses operate from Thampanoor Bus Station in Trivandrum for Kovalam (20 km), Kochi (199 km) and Kottayam (147 km). Suiting their budget and requirement, travellers can choose from executive, deluxe, sleeper and luxury buses. You can also drive to Trivandrum from Kovalam via Kovalam Bypass Road or NH 47 Bypass Road, a journey that takes just around an hour.
By rail:
Trivandrum Central, about 6 km away from the city centre, is well linked to major cities in India via an extensive rail network. There are frequent trains plying from Trivandrum railway station for cities such as New Delhi, Bangalore, Indore, Mumbai, Chennai and Guwahati, to mention a few. Some of the major trains available from here include Kerala Express, Swaranjayanti Express, Trivandrum Mail and Anantapuri Express. Taxis, cabs and buses are easily available from outside the railway station.
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Address for Donation and visiting purpose
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
West Nada, Fort, East Fort, Pazhavangadi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695023
0471 246 4606
Visitors Views
Apart from the structural beauty, the divine rituals around the Temple are also the main centres of attraction for devotees. We at Mandir Darshan, we intend to provide you with the tiniest details of every temple and the rituals carried out in the premises. With us as your touring guides of Thiruvannathpuram , Kerala you are sure to explore and enjoy every bit of the numinous land. The Data mentioned above as links are taken from Google, YouTube, TripAdvisor, Justdial, Wikipedia, Google Maps etc,. just for Knowledge purpose. There is no Followers or Money gaining intentions behind that!