Renovated in 1733 AD by the then ruler of Travancore, Raja Marthanda Varma, this holy shrine attracts thousands of Hindu devotees. Located inside the east fort, this fascinating temple is the most important landmark of Thiruvananthapuram.
The temple portrays both Kerala and the Dravidian styles of architecture. It is a grand seven storeyed structure adorned by innumerable stone carvings, ancient inscriptions and colourful murals. There are around 324 pillars in the temple corridor.The main Deity in this temple is Lord Padmanabha, who reclines on Anantha, the thousand-headed serpent. The Idol is about 5.5 mtrs (18 feet) long and is one of the largest Vishnu deities in India. The Deity reclines in a large, dimly lit room. You can see the Lord through three large doors, one revealing his feet, another his midsection (with Brahma on the lotus) and the third his chest and head.
The deity is taken on a procession everyday at 4 p.m. around the temple. There are several other deities in the temple including Sita, Rama, Hanuman, Krishna and Narasimha. There is a huge temple tank called Padma Teertham outside the temple.
Only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple and they too have to strictly follow the dress code, which is dhoti for the men and a saree for the women. The temple remains open from 4:15 am - 5:15 am, 6:45 am - 730 am, 8:30 am - 10:30 am, 11:30 am - 11:45 am, 5:15 pm - 7:30 pm.
3 comments:
hi, new to the site, thanks.
i'm sure there are many more treasure troves of this kind throughout india. Some of them are maybe already discovered & not in public knowledge.. there must be others which are yet to be discovered. & howmany of them were taken away by east india company? Since India was a country of many little kingdoms, there must have been many of these kinds!!
I am still wondering why the men have to remove their shirts and wear a sarong to enter this temple. Any information would be helpful.
Post a Comment