About Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India.
The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Maha Vishnu. It is acknowledged as the wealthiest Hindu temple on the planet.
Thiruvananthapuram, the name of the city, means “The City of Ananta” in Tamil and Malayalam. One of Vishnu’s forms is Ananta. The temple features tall walls and a sixteenth-century gopura, built in a sophisticated fusion of Keralan and Dravidian architectural styles.
history
One of the most significant and historic Hindu temples in the world is the Shree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is devoted to Lord Vishnu, who is known as Anantha Padmanabha, which translates to “Vishnu resting on the serpent Anantha.”
The history of the temple is unknown; however, it is thought to have been built over 1,000 years ago. Although its exact founding date is unknown, it has long been considered sacred for religious purposes.
The sage Divakara Muni is said to have constructed the temple after finding a self-manifested deity of Lord Vishnu in the Anantha Kadu, or Anantha forest. One of the most sacred statues of Lord Vishnu in the world, the statue is believed to have been sculpted from a single piece of black stone.
The temple has been under the patronage of the Travancore royal family for centuries. In the 18th century, King Marthanda Varma of Travancore declared Lord Padmanabha as the supreme deity of the kingdom and surrendered himself and his kingdom to the Lord.
The temple is a stunning example of Keralan Dravidian design. It features a spacious rectangular courtyard as well as a seven-story gopuram (gateway tower). The temple complex also has a museum, a sacred tank, and a number of smaller places of worship.
Attukal Pongala festival, one of the world’s biggest spiritual gatherings, is held annually at the temple, which grants it fame. More than three million women prepare pongala, a sweet rice dish, in the temple courtyard as a sacrifice to Lord Padmanabha during this celebration.