Coming Soon...
Sub Deities:
Ayyappan
Narasimha
Kshetrapalan
Vishwaksena
Sri Garuda
Ganesh
Krishna
Rama
Seetha Devi
Lakshmana
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple (or) Sree Anantha Padmanabha swamy Temple (or) Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple is a famous ancient Lord Vishnu temple located inside the East Fort of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the holiest abodes of the Lord Mahavishnu. Lord Vishnu is seen here in Anananthasayanam posture, lying on Sri Anantha, the hooded snake. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is named after the Lord. This magnificent Hindu temple is an important landmark of the Trivandrum city. According to traditions, Sree Padmanabhaswamy is believed to have been worshipped by Chandra (Moon God) and Indra (the head of the Devas).
Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of the Lord Mahavishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints).
The Temple idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is made up of 12008 salagramams 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.
On July 2, 2011, approximately 500 billion rupees ($11.2 billion US) worth in gold, jewels, and other treasures were unearthed in the vaults at the temple. Several antiques such as 18th century Napoleon-age coins were also discovered at the temple. India's Supreme Court recently ordered the temple be managed by the state to insure the security of the temple and its treasures.
This revelation has solidified the Padmanabhaswamy temple as the most wealthy temple in India, with the Thirupathy temple (previously thought to be the most wealthy) having some 320 billion rupees in gold, coins and other treasures.
A treasure trove of gold, diamonds and precious stones — unofficially estimated at hundreds of crores of rupees — was unearthed from an ante-chamber. Refers to two(coded A and B) of the six underground chambers(coded A-F) near its sanctum sanctorum of the centuries-old Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram,capital city of Kerala which was believed to contain priceless jewels and articles of rare antiquity and were locked there for more than 136 years .They were believed to be stored as part contingency planning and disaster recovery by the royal family who were erstwhile rulers of Travancore princely state. The underground chambers in the temple were chosen to protect them from British
Traditionally, two of six were opened daily and two others twice a year. However, the remaining chambers, with granite wall and massive wooden doors, were last opened 136 years ago. These two chambers are rumoured to hold precious stones, diamonds, vessels and gold.
The Supreme Court of India ordered to take inventory of the stock and appointed a panel of observers to carry out the task following a private petition by lawyer T P Sunderajan seeking greater transparency and accountability in the temple’s management which comprised of a committee appointed by the royal family
While the media was not allowed inside, the exercise was carried out in the presence of Justices M.N. Krishnan and C.S. Rajan who came as observers of the Supreme Court of India.
Additional Chief Secretary K.Jayakumar, temple executive officer Harikumar, petitioner T.P. Sundararajan, an Archaeology Department official and two representatives of Travancore King Marthandavarma were also present while the chambers were opened to take the inventory and present the report to the Supreme Court of India.
The market value of the articles found from four of the six vaults by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court since Monday is estimated at Rs750 billion (US $16 billion approx). Temple sources say it may move close to Rs1 trillion (US $23 billion approx)after the articles in the other two vaults are accounted for. The intrinsic values is not yet counted.. and is said to reach unimaginable figures....
Thousands of necklaces, coins and precious stones have been kept in at least five underground vaults at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is renowned for its intricate sculptures. “We are yet to open one more secret chamber which has not been opened for nearly 140 years,” Kerala Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar said. The actual value of the treasure haul can be ascertained only after it is examined by the archaeological department, said Jayakumar.
Archeologists say the current estimation of the value of the articles found in the temple vaults may not be realistic as they could fetch fancy prices in auctioning. The search yielded gold idols, golden crowns, 1,200 gold chains, numerous golden staffs, golden plates, sacks of gold coins of 1,732 vintage, diamonds, including Belgium diamonds, and precious stones, rubies and emeralds. It turned out to be a virtual treasure trove with gold coins dating back thousands of years, gold necklaces as long as 18 feet and weighing about 10 kg, about one tonne of the yellow metal in the shape of rice trinkets. 536 kh gold coins, 16 kg of gold coins dating back to the East India Company period, three kg coins from Napoleon's era, 16 kg Travancore gold coins, precious stones wrapped in silk bundles besides small elephants made of the yellow metal, rare sapphire stones and more than 2000 rubies. Besides there were heap of ornaments, stone-studded crowns, vessels, platters, lamps, solid gold objects and a wide range of other curios of immense heritage and intrinsic value were found out.
Temple sources say the treasures found in the temple included offerings made by devotees, wealth the erstwhile Travancore rulers stored in the temple and gifts and offerings received from erstwhile kings of neighbouring states.
Noted historian Dr M G S Narayanan, said people from far and near have been visiting the Padmanabhaswamy Temple since it is one of the biggest Vaishnava temples in the country. The shrine dating back to 9th Century would be having several centuries old precious objects. The Supreme Court ordered the stock taking while staying a high court direction to the state government to constitute a trust or statutory body to take over the temple, citing failure by the present management to protect the temple’s assets and treasures.
The temple was administered by a royal family-controlled trust ever since former ruler Marthanda Varma dedicated the state and all his wealth to the deity, Padmanabhaswamy, and ruled Travancore as its servant. If the estimated value of the articles found is correct, the Padmanabaswamy Temple may turn out to be the richest shrine in India. The wealth of Sree Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, which is considered as the richest temple in the country at present, is reported to be worth about Rs330 billion.
The main treasure found on the 6th day was a one foot (12 angulams) height golden idol of Lord Mahavishnu and a 30 kg golden ‘anki’. This golden idol of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the replica of the ‘utsava vigraham' used in the temple. The golden idol of Padmanabhaswamy studded with more than 1000 previous stones is valued to around Rs. 500 Crore. Another golden idol of Lord Sree Krishna was also found which weighs around 5 kg.
Around 90,000 crore worth treasure (Nidhi) has been found in the secret cellars of the famous Kerala Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu - Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). The 7 member paper appointed by the Supreme Court of India, has been preparing the list of valuable found in the cellars of Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. The temple has 6 Secret Cellars (Nilavara – a place to keep assets safe) from Cellar A to Cellar F. Opening of each of these chambers is revealing a virtual treasure trove with precious diamonds, golden ornaments, emeralds, jewelleries, rare antique silver and brass platters and golden idols. An estimation of above 90,000 crore treasure was valued at the completion of the 6th day of valuing the assets of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Several golden coins were also unearthed yesterday which are believed to be issued during the reign of Krishnadeva Rayar in the 16th century AD. Numerous golden ornaments which were used to adorn the main deity were also found in the Vault marked A. Ornaments studded with emeralds were also found on Saturday. Numerous golden human figurine weighing 1 kg, golden bangles, golden rope, are other interesting treasure found in the Vishnu Temple.
Another interesting finding was two coconut shells made of pure gold. One of this golden coconut shell was students with rare antique stones including emeralds and rubies.
1) Lord Narasimhar -The shrine of Lord Narasimha Swamy is situated outside the main sanctum sanctorum near the main door.
2) Lord Ayyappa - The temple has a separate shrine for Sree Dharma Sastha.
3) Lord Ganesh - The temple of Sree Maha Ganapathi is on the left side while entering from the main entrance.
4) Lord Krishna - The shrine of Sree Krishna is situated near the South Entrance of the temple.
5) The shrine of Lord Rama, Seeta Devi and Lakshmana are inside the main sanctum sanctorum.
6) Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple also has a shrine dedicated to Sage Veda Vyasa.
Other deities enshrined in the temple include Lord Hanuman, Lord Garuda, Kshetrapalan (who guards the temple), and Vishwaksena.
Narasimha Temple
Lord Narasimha or Nrusimha also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Lord Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism.[1] and one of Hinduism's most popular deities, as evidenced in early epics, iconography, and temple and festival worship for over a millennium.
He is often visualized as half-man/half-lion, having a human-like torso and lower body, with a lion-like face and claws. This image is widely worshiped in deity form by a significant number of Vaishnava groups, particularly in Southern India. He is known primarily as the 'Great Protector' who specifically defends and protects his devotees in times of need
Kshetrapalan
According to Hinduism and Hindu mythology, Kshetrapala, that is, the lord of the farmland, is a deity who was originally a deity of the farmland, particularly in the south India. Over a period of time, Kshetrapala became a generic name applied to deities associated with a piece or parcel of land, or a particular region (kshetra in Sanskrit). His temples are generally constructed on the northeastern corner of temples devoted to Shiva, and he is worshipped prior to each ritual to ensure the efficacy of that particular ritual.
This famous Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu is located inside the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Considered as one of the 108 divya desam - the holiest abodes of Vishnu, the main deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu in the reclining Ananthasayanam posture, superbly magnificent to look at and lying on Sri Anantha, the hooded snake.
The name of this city Thiruvananthapuram is itself derived from the name of the presiding deity enshrined in this holy temple. The salient feature of this temple is that, Sri Padmanabha deity is the nominal head of the state of Travancore and has assumed the title of Perumal - the Emperor. During the British Raj, the deity was saluted with a 21 gun salute, a military tradition of the colonial days.
Infact, the royal insignia of Lord Padmanabha, the Valampiri Shankhu or the dextral conch shell served as the emblem of the State of Travancore till the re organization of the states. During annual festivities, Lord Padmanabha, Narasimha Swamy and Krishna are taken in a royal procession in aesthetically decorated Vahanas.
In older days Sree Padmanabha Kshetram and its properties were controlled by powerful lords known as Ettuveetil Pillamar under the guidance of Ettara Yogam. Later, Marthanda Varma defeated the Pillamar and his cousins "Kunju thampis", took over power.
The last major renovation of the temple was done by King Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. He dedicated his kingdom to the deity, and pledged that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa, meaning "servants of the Lord Padmanabha". With this, Sri Padmanabha became the nominal head of the state of Travancore, assuming the title Perumal, the Emperor. The British Government saluted the Lord with a 21-gun salute, a military tradition of colonial days, which was continued by the Indian Army until the abolition of the privy purses by Government of India with Indira Gandhi as the Prime Minister.
The royal insignia of the Lord, The Valampiri Shankhu or dextral conch-shell, served as the State emblem of Travancore and even continued so for some time after the re-organization of the States. Sri Padmanabha is still regarded as regional deity of Travancore[citation needed]. The two annual festivals of the Temple culminate in a grand procession, in which the three deities (Sree Padmanabha, Narasimha Swamy and Krishna) are carried on flower-deck and aesthetically decorated Garuda Vahanas to the Shankhumukhom beach, for 'aaraattu' (sacramental ablution). The 'aarattu' days are declared as local public holidays in Thiruvanathapuram. The Idol is made of Kadusarkkara Yogam, an ayurvedic mixture, with Lord Vishnu sleeping on Anantha with his head pointing towards south and facing east.
There are many legends regarding the origin of the temple. One such legend says that Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar alias Divakara Muni prayed to Krishna for his darshan. Krishna came in disguise as a small, mischievous boy. The boy swallowed the Saligrama which was kept in Puja. The Sage became enraged at this and chased the boy until the boy hid himself behind a tree. The tree fell down and became Vishnu in Anantha Shayanam (reclining posture on Anantha the serpent) --but when he did so, he was of an extraordinarily large size. The Sage, recognizing that the tree was Vishnu, pleaded that because of the huge form the lord had manifested before him he could not either have a mind fulfilling darshan or circumbulate him. He then asked the Lord to shrink to a smaller proportion - thrice the length of his staff. Immediately, the Lord Vishnu shrunk himself, and told the sage that he should be worshipped through three doors. These doors are now the doors in the temple through which the idol may be viewed. Through the first door, the worship is offered to Shiva; through the second entrance to Brahma on the Lord's lotus navel, and through the third is Vishnu's feet, which are said to lead to salvation.
There was a great fire accident in which the original Murti which was made of the wood of that tree got burned during a fire that engulfed the temple complex, was a sign of the unhappiness of the lord with the king.
Mythology
Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands at a place considered as one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras; texts including the Puranas, particularly the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana, have references to this shrine. Another story tells of a pulaya couple seeing Vishnu in the form of a child. The child took morsels of rice from the hands of the couple. Also it is believed that Divakaramuni, when he saw the deity he took the first food item he saw which was an Unripe Mango and a coconut shell as an offering plate and performed primary pooja. In memory of this legend, naivedyam or offering prepared from rice is offered to the deity here in a coconut shell.
Lord Krishna came appeared before Sage Divakara as a mischievous small boy. The boy swallowed the Saligrama that the sage had kept for his puja. The sage was enraged and chased the boy who hid himself behind a tree. This tree fell down and became Vishnu in reclining Anantha Sayanam posture.
Recognizing that the tree was Vishnu himself, the sage pleaded and begged the Lord to reduce his size. Lord Vishnu shrunk and asked the sage to worship him in three doors. Lord Shiva can be worshipped in the first door, Lord Brahma in the second and the feet of Lord Vishnu in the third, which leads one to salvation.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is renowned for its sculptural beauty. With the ancient work of art in stone and bronze, the mural paintings and wood carvings, this ancient temple is a fine specimen of the Dravidian style of architecture. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands majestically beside the holy tank, named Padma Theertham (meaning the lotus spring). The tower at the entrance is a seven-storey and about 35 meter (100 foot) in height. Decked with beautiful stone carvings, this tower is constructed in South Indian architecture. There is an eighty-foot flag post (Dhwaja stambha) in front of the temple which is covered with gold plated copper sheets.
Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple has some interesting features such as the Bali Peeda Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam. These halls are decorated with beautiful sculptures of various Hindu deities. Another notable part is the Navagraha Mandapa whose ceiling displays the Navagrahas.
Extending from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum is a broad corridor which has 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with beautiful carvings. The remarkable touch of the artisans is felt in a piece of carving which has the figure of an elephant on one side and that of a bull on the other. It is notable that the horns of the bull look like the tusks of the elephant when seen from the other side and the trunk of the elephant seems like the hump for the bull.
There is a ground floor under the gopuram (main entrance in the eastern side) which is known as the 'Nataka Sala'. Here the famous temple art of Kerala, the Kathakali, was staged in the night during the annual ten-day Padmanabhaswamy Temple Festival (Uthsavam), held during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam.
Visiting Hours of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple opens daily at 03:30 AM and closes at 07:20 PM. However, there are specific timings for darshan.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Darshan Timings in Morning
03:30 AM to 04:45 AM
06:30 AM to 07:00 AM
8.30 AM to 10:00 AM
10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
11:45 AM to 12:00 PM
Evening Darshan Timings of Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple
05:00 PM to 06:15 PM
06:45 PM to 07:20 PM
Please note that the temple worship timings are subject to change during festival occasion.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Dress Code
Only Hindus are permitted inside the temple. And dress codes are to be strictly followed before entering the temple. Men should wear 'Mundu' or 'Dhoti' while visiting the temple. They also have to remove shirt or t-shirt above waist. Women have to wear Sari (Saree), Mundum Neriyathum (set-mundu), Skirt and Blouse, or Half Sari. This means no pants for men or churidhar for women is allowed inside the temple.
Dhotis are available for rent near temple locker room. Nowadays temple authorities allow to wear Dhotis over pants or churidhar for the convenience of devotees.
Moola Mantras are powerful sounds and are very rich in their meaning which when chanted produce great effects. These are chanted repeatedly and that is called Japa. Japa is a key part of Hindu prayer
While doing japa one can meditate on the mantra and its meaning. As the mind dwell more and more into that, the mind and takes up to the higher States and forms the path to the great liberation-eternal bliss
What makes moola mantras so special as compared to the normal words? Moola mantras are not human creations. Especially given that there are sages associated with the moola mantras!
Manthram :
Vishnu Sahasranamam:
Also known as Venkateshwara Sahasranama Stotra, Vishnu Sahasranamam is the popular devotional song of Lord Vishnu. Sahasra Namam literally means the "1000 names of Lord Vishnu". This Vishnu mantra is played on almost all Lord Vishnu Temples in the morning.
* Sri Venkatesa Karavalamba Stotram
* Vishnu Gayatri Mantra
* Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotra
Lord Vishnu Bhajans – Devotional Songs:
Govinda Hari Govinda Bhajan
Bhavayami Gopalabalam
Achyutham Kesavam Rama Narayanam
Achyutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram
Hari Bhajana Bina Sukha Shanti Nahin
Madhura Ashtakam
Adisesha Anantha Sayana Srinivasa Sri Venkatesa
Ramanudu Pilicini Rave
Jai Jai Narayana Narayana Hari Hari
Brahma Kadigina Paadamu
Sriman Narayana Shriman Narayana
Jai Lakshmiramana, Jay Satyanarayan Aarti
Bhaja Govindam
State :
Kerala
District :
Thiruvananthapuram
Area :
Trivandrum
Exact Location :
East Fort
Pincode :
695023
Office Number :
04712450233
Mobile Number :
04712450233
Location Map :
Controlled By :
Government/Devaswom
Trust Description :
Contact Details :
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Mathilakom Office
East Fort
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala, India
Pin Code - 695023
Prefered Transportation :
By Road
If so, please write your experiences here. It may be usefull to others
