Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of Kerala state in southern India and is among the oldest cities in the world. The beautiful coastal city is situated on the seaside and it is popular as it lies on seven hills. Popular as Trivandrum, this picturesque and historical city is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. The name of the city literally means ‘the town of Lord Anantha’.
Trivandrum is an extremely popular spot among the spiritual and religious tourists as it is the abode of the sacred serpent on which Lord Vishnu resides. The city is also a major trading hub for spices, ivory, and sandalwood. Many central and state government offices are also present here. Trivandrum is a major hub for educational institutions including the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, Education, and Research.
Kerala state has many temples each with its unique architecture which makes them stand out. These magnificent temples have fascinating stories behind them. Thiruvananthapuram also has many such temples and the major one among them is Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temple, being among one of the oldest temples in India, attracts many visitors round the year. This temple is significant as it finds a place in ancient texts like the Puranas.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a significant Hindu temple dedicated to the Anantha avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple has a 100-foot tall gopuram and an 18-foot idol of the deity lying on AdiShesha. The special thing about the deity is that He lies in the Ananthasayanam posture.
How to Reach Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
You can ready to Padmanabhaswamy Mandir as following,
1) By Road
Padmanabhaswamy Temple can be reached by bus at Thampanoor in the city of Trivandrum. The temple is at a distance of 1 Km from there. You can also take an auto or a taxi from Thampanoor to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
From Kovalam, we can reach Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is just 20 km from here. You can also take the KSRTC bus from there to the temple.
By Train
The nearest railway station to reach Padmanabhaswamy Temple is Thampanoor in Trivandrum. You can drive to the temple from there that is located at a distance of 1km. You can either take an auto or a taxi to the temple.
By Air
The nearest airport to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum. From here a local bus, auto, or taxi can travel towards the East Fort and the temple is just a small walk from there.
Padmanabhaswamy Mandir Visit Timings
The Padmanabhaswamy Mandir opens for darshan at 3.15 am every day and closes at 7.20 pm. There are many slots for darshan and prayers in the temple. The temple opens every day but the darshan timings may change during festivals and special occasions. During special occasions and festivals, darshan timings are reduced to perform special poojas.
Historical facts about the Temple
A Vishnu devotee Divakar Muni used to perform daily rituals and pujas and one day Lord Vishnu appeared before him as a little boy near his ashram and got so fascinated that he requested the boy to stay with him. While leaving the boy asked Muni to come to Ananthankaadu. At Ananthankaadu, he witnessed the boy merging into an Iluppai tree emerging as a Vishnu idol. The Muni prayed to Lord Vishnu to shrink the idol and the idol was shrunk to a size of 18 ft.
Architecture of Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple has been influenced by the Dravidian style of architecture. The temple resembles many temples in the Tamil Nadu state and has a tall gopuram with intricate carvings and high walls. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu who is also referred to as the ruler of Travancore. The royal crown of Travancore is also preserved in the temple. The biggest festival celebrated in the temple is the Laksha Deepam festival. During this festival, a hundred thousand lamps are lit inside the temple premises. The festival is held on Makar Sankranti and marks the end of 12 Bhadradeepams. O-During this festival, the images of Krishna, Padmanabhan, and Narasimha are taken out on Garuda vahana.
Related Information
The Padmanabhaswamy Temple premises has a treasure in its cellars valued at $ 1 trillion. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is thus the richest in the world. The temple has the image of Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclining on the serpent Anantha with his right hand placed over Shiva lingam. The lord is accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Bhudevi. Lord Brahma emanates from Vishnu’s navel. This image of Lord Vishnu is made from 12,000 shaligrams which can be traced back to the Gandaki River in Nepal.
Places to Visit near Padmanabhaswamy Temple
You can visit some other places while on a trip to Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Below are some best tourist places near Padmanabhaswamy temple.
1) Puthenmalika Kuthiramalika Palace
This is a beautiful palace situated on the east fort near the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The name means the palace of horses and it was built by the Maharaja of the kingdom of Travancore in British India.
Karthika Thirunal Theatre
This is a popular recreational spot where many people visit to pursue their popular interests. The Karthika Thirunal theatre tourist spot exhibits many attractions and has great architecture and innovative layouts
Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Palace – Historical Museum in Thiruvananthapuram
The popular palace museum is located just in front of the Padmanabhaswamy temple and is visited by many people to look at the Chitralayam Museum which has many mirrors, throne, and sculpture that is used by the Maharaja.
East Fort
The East Fort is the most bustling region of Trivandrum and sees many tourists as there are many commercial sites around the region.
Pazhavangadi Mahaganapathy Temple – famous Ganesh temple in Trivandrum
Pazhavangadi Mahaganapathy temple is a popular Lord Ganesh temple. The temple is maintained by the Indian Army. Worshippers break coconut before the idol inside the temple.
Kovalam Beach
This is a renowned beach and is loved by tourists as it has rocky promenades near the beach and has many leisure options. The tourists visit the beach for swimming, sunbathing, and herbal body toning massages. Many cottages and resorts are located on the beach complex.