Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Kerala

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a centuries-old temple in Thiruvananthapuram dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is a must-visit spiritual tourist destination for travelers in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. The eye-catching architecture is the prime attraction of this temple. The temple architecture has the right blend of both Kerala and Dravidian styles. Being one of the sacred 108 Vishnu temples in the country, many Hindu devotees visit this holy place every day. Lord Vishnu, the presiding deity in this temple is in the form of reclining on Anantha, the large hooded serpent.

Marthanda Varma, a famous Travancore King dedicated his kingdom to Lord Padmanabha. Even he vowed that the royal family rules their kingdom on behalf of Lord Padmanabha. The descendants served the kingdom as the servants of the Lord. Marthanda Varma Maharaja did great renovation to this temple and made it one of the beautiful present day structure. The king also introduced two major festivals, the Murajapam and Bhadra Deepam to the temple. In the local language, Murajapam means, the continuous chanting of prayers and the temple conducts this festival once in six years. The capital city, Thiruvananthapuram got its name from the main deity, Sree Ananada Padmanabhaswamy.

Some of the ancient texts like Skanda Purana and Padma Purana have references about the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is placed on a stone slab. The main idol is nearly 18 feet long and devotees can see it through three different doors. The exquisite work in bronze and stone made the architecture of this temple marvelous. The beautiful murals and paintings adorn the interiors of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Covered with gold-plated copper sheets, the flag post is a great feature of the temple which is nearly 80 feet high. Bali Peeda Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam are two halls in the temple with attractive structural features. Fascinating sculptures of different Hindu deities decorate these halls.

Visitors need to follow strict dress code in order to enter the temple. Men need to wear the traditional mundu or dhoti around the waist without any shirt. Women need to wear sari, half-sari and skirt and blouse to enter the temple. Nowadays, temple authorities permit visitors to enter the temple wearing dhotis over their churidar or pants. Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple is nearly 1 kilometer away from Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station. Trivandrum International Airport is only 6 kilometers from this temple. Check the pilgrimage travel packages of Tour My India to get more information about Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.