The Features of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is one of India’s most prominent Hindu shrines, dedicated to Lord Padmanabhaya, an avatar of Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of Lord Vishnu’s 108 Divya Desams, or holy abodes. Several Hindu scriptures, including the Brahma Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana and Bhagavata Purana, have depicted the centuries-old Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. According to academics, the shrine is also mentioned in the Mahabharata.

History of  Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

According to historians, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates from the 8th century CE. The temple, constructed in the Chera style of architecture, is unique to Kerala and the neighbouring states since its design conforms to the local weather conditions.

• The Chera-style temples are often square, rectangular, octagonal, or star-shaped.
• The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams (holy abodes of Vishnu) that serve as the deity’s primary places of worship in Vaishnavism.
• Since Independence, the temple has been managed by a trust run by Travancore royal family heirs.
• The value of gold and gems at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of India’s costliest temples, is estimated to be more than Rs 1,00,000 crore.
• The temple’s enormous treasure of gold, gems and statues was uncovered in 2011 when the Supreme Court ordered the vaults to be opened to examine the temple’s wealth in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by a local activist.

Best time to visit Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Worship time at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple:

Morning hours

3.30 am to 4.45 am (Nirmalya Darshanam)

6.30 am to 7 am

8.30 am to 10 am

10.30 am to 11.10 am

11.45 am to 12 noon

Evening hours

5 pm to 6.15 pm

6.45 pm to 7.20 pm.

• Please keep in mind that temple worship times may change during the festival. Only the Hindu devotees are allowed to enter the temple premises.

Location

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. This temple combines Kerala and Dravidian architectural elements. It is thought to be the world’s most valuable temple.

Interesting Facts About Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The  Idol

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple’s presiding deity’s idol is notable for its composition, which includes 12008 Salagramams transported from Nepal and extracted from the banks of the River Gandaki.

Architecture and Aesthetics 

The temple architecture is notable for its stone and bronze work. Beautiful paintings and murals embellish the temple’s interiors. The life-size images of Lord Vishnu in the reclining pose, Narasimha Swamy (Lord Vishnu’s half-lion, half-man incarnation), Lord Ganapati, and Gaja Lakshmi are among them. The temple boasts an 80-foot-high Dhwaja Stamba (flag post) clad in gold-plated copper sheets.

The Corridor

A large corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with magnificent sculptures extends from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum. 

Conclusion

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital, is named after the temple. ‘Thiru’ ‘Anantha’ ‘Puram’ denotes ‘Lord Anantha Padmanabha’s sacred dwelling’. It is regarded as the world’s most valuable site of worship. The temple features towering walls and a 16th-century gopura created in an elaborate fusion. 

While the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla, Kasaragod, is regarded as the deity’s original seat (“Moolasthanam”), the temple is architecturally similar to the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar to some extent. The Padmanabhaswamy temple’s vaults A and B contain exotic treasures, including gold worth billions of rupees. The temple’s Chamber A was uncovered in June 2011 and discovered to hold valuables worth Rs 1 lakh crore.