A Tour of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is one of the richest temples in the world and is one of the 108 Divya Desams, or holy sites, of Vishnu. The temple is built in the Kerala style of architecture and has a seven-storey gopuram (tower) at the entrance. The gopuram is decorated with sculptures and statues of Hindu deities and mythical creatures.
Inside the temple, the sanctum sanctorum houses the reclining image of Vishnu, which is 18 feet long. The image is made of salagramam, a type of stone that is said to have originated in the Himalayas. To the left of the sanctum sanctorum is a temple dedicated to Narasimha, a fearsome incarnation of Vishnu. To the right of the sanctum sanctorum is a temple dedicated to Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. The temple also has a number of other shrines dedicated to other Hindu deities, including Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Hanuman. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a popular tourist destination and is visited by thousands of people every year. The temple is also an important pilgrimage site for Hindus from all over the world.
The entrance to the temple is guarded by stone pillars decorated with dragons. The gopuram (tower) is seven stories tall and has a boat-shaped top with seven golden thazhika kudams. Each floor of the gopuram has sculptures or statues, many of which depict stories from the Puranas. The top of the gopuram is shaped like a boat because the land on which the temple was built was once called Vanchinad, which means "boat."
The temple was built by hand without the use of modern machinery. The workers used ordinary iron tools to shape the gopuram and the temple. The intricate details of the architecture are a testament to their skill and dedication.
The entrance to the temple is on the east side. The walls surrounding the temple are 20 feet high and have nine entrances. However, only four of these entrances are open to the public. The area inside the walls is known as Mathilakam.
The main entrance leads to a natakasala (theater). Visitors can buy a special pass to climb to the top of the gopuram for a panoramic view of the city.
The natakasala is followed by the Seevelippura (corridor). This corridor has 365 pillars, each with a statue of a woman carrying a lamp. The lamps may be used for lighting during Sheeveli, a procession that takes place in the temple, or for welcoming the festival idol of Sree Padmanabha.
At the end of the Seevelippura is an entry door with pillars carved with the ten avatars of Vishnu. This door is used by the members of the Royal Family. There is a subtemple of Sree Dharma Sastha to the south of this door.
There is an independent Sree Krishnaswamy temple at the north-west corner of the temple complex. This temple also has its own flagstaff, namaskara mandapam, and balikkallu.
The stone idol of Sree Parthasarathy in this temple has Panchajanyam (Krishna's conch) in its left hand, which rests upon thigh, and a whip in its right hand. Historians claim that this temple was installed years before Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
An idol of Hanuman Swamy stands on the way to the main temple. The main offering here is adorning the idol with butter. No organisms eat or defile this butter. To the south of this idol stands the Kulasekhara Mandapam. The four pillars at the corners of this mandapam, when knocked, produce musical notes. Entry to the mandapam is restricted through tickets.
When you reach the door of the sanctum sanctorum, you could see a small temple which houses the panchaloha idol of Narasimhamoorthy. It is believed that the sanctum sanctorum of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is situated above sea just as Ganga flows below the idol of Sree Kasi Viswanatha Temple. Sree Padmanabha rests on Palazhi. It has been recorded that during high tides sea water had surged in the sanctum sanctorum and damaged the idol and temple. The portions from where sea water seeped into the temple have been covered with lead. The temple records say that the rulers of Venad had seen this in 1563 and 1628, and they had also tasted it. Moreover, it is believed that there is a secret path connecting the temple and the Sankhumukham beach.
Enter the Ottakkal Mandapam (the platform built of a large single piece of stone) in front of the sanctum sanctorum, to have the darshan of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. The sanctum has three entrances. Sree Padmanabhaswamy reclines on Anantha, the snake, curled in three coils with five hoods. Through the first door, you can see the head of Sree Padmanabhaswamy, a shivalinga beneath his right hand, and a lotus in his left hand. The second or the central door reveals a lotus in full bloom rising from the navel of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. Brahma is seen seated on this lotus. The name Padmanabha means He who has lotus (padmam) emerging from his navel (nabhi). Holy feet can be seen through the third entrance.
The Lords of Creation, Preservation and Destruction namely Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara can be seen together. Sree Padmanabhaswamy reposes on Anantha just as Maha Vishnu in Vaikuntam. The three coils of Anantha represent the three gunas (qualities) namely Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas, and its five hoods indicate the five sense organs (eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin). Sre
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