Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Location, Architecture, Latest News

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Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Latest News

A ‘Maha Kumbhabhishekam’ was recently performed at the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram after 270 years.

About Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.
The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to “The City of Lord Ananta, ”referring to the deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
The earliest recorded mention of the temple is from the 8th or 9th century CE, although the temple is likely older.
The temple was built and rebuilt over the centuries, most recently by Martanda Varma, king of Travancore, who in 1750 donated the kingdom to the deity.
Architecture:
- It is a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture.
- The idol of Vishnu is in the Anantha shayanam posture, the eternal yogic rest posture on his serpent Adisheshan.
- It has a seven-tier-high gopuram, which is decorated with delicate designs and carvings.
- Along with exquisite and intricate works on stone and bronze, the interior of the temple is adorned by exquisite paintings and murals, most of which are life-sized depictions of Lord Vishnu in the reclining posture, Lord Ganapati, Gaja Lakshmi, and Narasimha Swamy (half-lion, half-man incarnation of Lord Vishnu).
- The flag post of the temple (dhwaja stamba) is covered with gold-plated copper sheets and is about 80 ft high.
The temple has around 3 million palm leaf manuscripts dating back to the 14th century CE.
- Known as Mathilakam records, they contain the administrative and financial details of the temple town and Travancore kingdom spread over six centuries.
In 2011 the temple was the subject of international news when an exploration of its vaults revealed a wealthof jewels, precious metals, and other treasures.
It is also widely believed to be the world’s richest temple.