Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
From Open Encyclopedia
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala state, India, is dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu. The temple is considered one of the 108 Tirupatis and Vishnu is enshrined here in Anananthasayanam posture, that is, in eternal sleep of yognidra. This is an ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram derives its name from the name of the presiding deity enshrined in the temple.
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Antiquity
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands at a place, which is considered as one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras, and ancient texts including Puranas, particularly, the Skanda Puranas and Padma Puranas, have extolled the sanctity of this place and the shrine. The tradition states that in this place Lord Vishnu had given darshan to Indian sages like Divakarmuni and Bilvamangalam Swami. An Ezhava couple had also seen the lord in the form of a child and the child had taken morsels of rice from the hands of the couple. In memory of this legend, naivedyam prepared of rice is offered to the deity here in a coconut shell.
But Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of Ayyavazhi provides a different genesis for this temple. (See:Thirumal in Thiruvananthapuram).
The temple has been held in high respect for centuries and King Marthanda Varma, maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore, did last major renovation. 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.
Gopuram
The temple has a seven-tier gopuram. The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham (meaning the lotus pilgrimage). The temple has a corridor with 324 sculptured stone pillars with exquisite and beautiful carvings. This corridor leads to the sanctum sanctorum. An eighty-foot flagstaff adorns the temple.
The sanctum
In the sanctum sanctorum, Vishnu is in a reclining position over the Adi Sesha, the serpent on which, as per the Hindu mythology, the earth is believed to rest. Sridevi and Bhoodevi, two consorts of Vishnu stand by his side and the Brahma is seen on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of Vishnu. A lingam is seen on the left side of the deity. In order to perform darshan and puja, one has to climb on a stone slab and different parts of the Vishnu’s idol, namely, the face, the navel and the feet, are visible from three different door like openings.
Other deities
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple complex has several other shrines dedicated to several other deities including Ganapathi, Narasimha, Krishna, Shiva, Subramanya, and Rama.
Festivals
- During the periods of Meenam (March-April) and Thulam (September-October), a festival lasting for ten days, is held. The festival is marked by flag hoisting on the first day; ceremonial hunting and a procession on the ninth day; and taking out the deity (Vishnu) on the tenth day to shore of the Arabian Sea and the deity is given a dip there.
- In a festival celebrated during the period of Navaratri, an idol of the goddess Saraswati, which is enshrined in Padmanabhapuram Palace, Padmanabhapuram, Tamilnadu, is brought to the temple complex of Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. During this period, music concerts are held.
- A festival called Laksha Deepam, meaning hundred thousand lamps, is held once in six years on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, which falls in the month of January.
