Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The temple is a very famous temple across the country and is dedicated to Lord Anantha who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Do you know what Thiruvananthapuram means? This means the land of lord Anantha. The architecture of the temple is built in Kerala style and Dravidian style, and the temple has the 100 feet tall entrance gate. In the main temple. Also, an 18 feet idol of the principal deity lies on Adi Shesha in the Ananthasayanam posture. The Temple is among the 108 sacred temples of Lord Vishnu, and it is one of the wealthiest temples in the world.
However, the exact foundation of the temple is unknown but people said that this temple is been existed since day one of Kali-yuga which was some 5000 years ago. The palm leaf records at the temple say that sage Divakara Muni Vilwamangalam founded it. He did some rituals at the temple Kasaragod which is also known as Ananthapura lake temple. It is said to be the original seat of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy. Legends stories say that Lord Vishnu appeared before Vilwamangalam as an orphan kid. The sage felt pity and allowed him to stay at the temple, the kid did help in the daily chores of the temple. One day, Vilwamangalam shouted at the kid and he ran toward the forest. As soon as he realized that the boy was Lord Vishnu himself, he went to find him. He then followed and then the oy suddenly disappeared into a mahua tree. The tree fell and took the shape of Lord Vishnu lying on the thousand-hooded serpent called Adi Shesha or Sheshnag, on which the lord Vishnu rests in the cosmic ocean.
However, the temple was rebuilt in the 15th and 17th centuries as per the records. In the reconstructed temple, the old idol of the lord was replaced by the 12,008 Shaligram stones and different types of herbs called Katu-Sharkara. In the middle of the 1750 year, the king dedicated his kingdom to the lord in one Thrippadidanam ceremony. The architecture of the temple was built in a very detailed work in stone and bronze. The architecture is a mixture of the Dravidian architectural style and the Kerala style. Moreover, the temple is a replica of the Adi Kesava Perumal temple of Thiruvattar.
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The first thing you will notice is that this is the magnificent seven-tier high gopuram that is carved with elaborate designs. The carved stone pillars and sculptures are beautifully carved in the corridor inside it with different Hindu deities.
The best time to visit the temple is in the winter season from October to February and is the best season to visit Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temperature remains pleasant to spend time at the temple. One thing to be noted is that there is a dress code for men and women, so before you visit the temple, must wear it.
Men have to wear a mundu or dhoti to the temple, the same applies to young boys. Women can wear a saree/dhoti/pavada with a blouse, and the same applies to young girls.
