The Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Malayalam: [pɐd̪mɐnaːbʰɐswaːmi]) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams which are considered the sacred sites of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
The temple's principal deity is Anantha Padmanabhaswamy, a form of Vishnu depicted in yogic sleep, on his serpent mount named Shesha. Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the Travancore royal family. The titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, is the current trustee of the temple.
Mythology, legends, and stories
The Temple is referred to as 'Syanandoorapura' in the Puranas and Hindu Epics. Several extant Hindu texts including the Vishnu Purana, Brahma Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Bhagavata Purana and Mahabharata mention the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
It is believed that Parashurama "purified and venerated" the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy in the Dvapara Yuga. As per the legend, Parashurama entrusted 'Kshethra Karyam' (administration of the Temple) to seven Potti families – Koopakkara Potti, Vanchiyoor Athiyara Potti, Kollur Athiyara Potti, Muttavila Potti, Karuva Potti, Neythasseri Potti and Sreekaryathu Potti. Then King Adithya Vikrama of Vanchi (Venad) was directed by Parashurama to do 'Paripalanam' (Protection) of the Temple. Parashurama is said to have given the 'Tantram' of the Temple to Tharananallur Namboothiripad. This legend is narrated in detail in the Kerala Mahathmyam which forms part of the Brahmanda Puranam.
Another story, which is more recent and less regarded mythologically and legendarily, associates the Temple with the legendary sage Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar (also called Divakara Muni in some versions).
History
The Temple has been referred to in (the only recorded) Sangam period literature several times including in the Cilappatikaram. Many conventional historians and scholars believe that one of the names that the Temple had, "The Golden Temple", was in cognisance of the Temple's extreme wealth by that point (early Sangam period). Many extant pieces of Sangam Tamil literature and poetry as well as later works of the 9th century of Tamil poet–saints like Nammalwar eulogise the temple as heaven and both the temple and the city as having walls and streets of pure gold.
The temple is one of the 108 principal Divya Desams ("Holy Abodes") in Vaishnavism according to existing Tamil hymns from the seventh and eighth centuries C.E and is glorified in the Divya Prabandha. The Divya Prabandha extols this shrine as being among the 13 Divya Desams in Malai Nadu (corresponding to present-day Kerala with Kanyakumari District). Nammalwar sang the glories of Padmanabha.
Mukilan, a Muslim marauder, temporarily invaded parts of Venad in 1680 AD and destroyed Budhapuram Bhaktadasa Perumal Temple which was owned by Neythasseri Potti. Mukilan intended to plunder Padmanabhaswamy Temple and destroy it, but he was dissuaded from doing so by local Muslims loyal to the royals of Venad, soon after which he was killed in the Battle of Manacaud.
Extant temple records
A pertinent event in the long history of the temple was the construction of a "granta-pura" (record-room) within the temple compound itself around 1425 AD by the then Venad King Veera Iravi Iravi Varma, to store the "Mathilakam" (within-the-walls) records, as the then existing temple records were known.
A major portion of the records (over 3000 'Cadjan' leaf-records) from the Mathikalam had been donated later to the Archives Department in 1867 at the time of the formation of the latter. Each of these Cadjan leaf-records, which have been compiled over thousands of years, contains 10,000 documentations according to R. Nagaswamy, noted archaeologist and historian, totalling over 30 crores of records. Despite their cultural value, only a small portion of these grantas (bundles) of cadjan leaf records which are written mostly in ancient scripts of Middle Tamil and Malayalam, have been studied and deciphered.
The rest of these Mathilakam documents – segregated under 70 "heads" – is still with the Archives Department. According to Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, a member of the Travancore Royal Family and author of a book on the temple, from a very early period in recorded history the temple had employed two kinds of 'record writers'. One group was to record the proceedings and transactions of the Ettarayogam, a council of temple administrators, that included the then king. The other was to write and preserve the records of the day-to-day functioning of the temple, maintain correct accounts of the temple-treasury, and of temple-revenue-collections and of temple-expenditure, as well as to note down all the other records connected with the functioning of the temple.
Temple structure
Main shrine
In the Garbhagriha, Padmanabha reclines on the serpent, Anantha or Adi Sesha. The serpent has five hoods facing inwards intended to signify contemplation. The deity's right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi-Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi, the Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu, are by his side. Brahma is depicted as emerging on a lotus which emanates from the navel of the deity. The deity is made from 12,008 saligramams. These saligrams are from the banks of the Gandaki River in Nepal, and to commemorate this, certain rituals used to be performed at the Pashupatinath Temple. The idol is covered with a special ayurvedic mix called "Katusarkara yogam".
The platforms in front of the vimanam and where the deity rests are both carved out of a single massive stone and hence called "Ottakkal-mandapam". On the orders of Marthanda Varma (1706–58), the Ottakkal-mandapam was cut out of a rock at Tirumala (a village in Thiruvananthapuram District), about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the temple. It measured 20 square feet (1.9 m2; 190 dm2; 19,000 cm2) in area by 2.5 feet (30 in; 7.6 dm; 76 cm) thick and was placed in front of the deity in the month of Edavom 906 M.E. (1731 CE). At the same time, Marthanda Varma also brought 12,000 shaligrams, aniconic representations of Vishnu, from the Gandaki River, north of Varanasi. These were used in the re-consecration of Padmanabha.
Other shrines
Inside the Temple, there are two other important shrines - Thekkedom and Thiruvambadi - for the deities Ugra Narasimha and Krishna Swami, respectively. The Thiruvambadi shrine enjoys an independent status. Thiruvambadi has its own namaskara mandapam and bali stones and flagmast. The deity of Thiruvambadi is Parthasarathi, the "Divine Charioteer" of Arjuna, who is the warrior prince and one of the main protagonists that appear in the epic of Mahabharata. The two-armed granite idol, with one hand holding the whip and the other resting on the left thigh holding the conch close to it, is in standing posture. The deity is dressed and adorned as Mohini on Ekadashi days.
There are also shrines for Rama accompanied by his wife Sita, half-brother Lakshmana, Hanuman, Vishvaksena (the Nirmalyadhari of Vishnu and "Remover of Obstacles"), Vyasa and Ashwatthama, Ganapati, Sasta and Kshetrapala (who guards the temple). Idols of Garuda and Hanuman stand with folded hands in the Valiya balikkal area.
Gopuram
The foundation of the present gopuram built in 1566. The temple has a 100-foot (30 m) high 7-tier gopuram built in the Pandyan style. The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham, meaning the 'Lotus Spring'. The temple has a corridor which has 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with elaborate carvings, that stands out to be an ultimate testimonial to the Vishvakarma sthapathis, in sculpting it. This corridor extends from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum. An 80-foot (24 m) flagstaff stands in front of the main entry from the prakaram (closed precincts of a temple).
Priests
Temples where 'Swamiyar Pushpanjali' is conducted are claimants to extra sanctity. Sannyasins from Naduvil Madhom and Munchira Madhom perform Pushpanjali (flower worship) daily to Padmanabha and Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami. Tharananallur Nambuthiripads of Iranjalakkuda are the Tantris of the Temple. The Nambis, altogether four in number, are the Chief Priests of the Temple. Two Nambis – Periya Nambi and Panchagavyathu Nambi – are allotted to Padmanabha and one Nambi each to Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami. The Nambis hail from either side of the Chandragiri River.
Temple entry
In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple, and devotees have to strictly follow the dress code. Men wear "Vesti" with "Angavastram" (the South Indian version of the 'dhoti' and the shawl, both plain white in color) and women wear sari.
Offer of Worship
Devotees ascend to the mandapam to perform darshan and Pooja. The deity is visible through three doors. The reclining Padmanabha and Sivalinga underneath his hand are visible through the first door along with Sridevi and Bhrigu Muni in Katusarkara and Brahma seated on a lotus emanating from the deity's navel (hence the name "Padmanabha"). Gold 'abhisheka' moorthies of Padmanabha, Sridevi and Bhudevi, and silver utsava moorthi of Padmanabha are visible through the second door. The deity's feet along with Bhudevi and Markandeya Muni in Katusarkara are visible through the third door. The idols of two goddesses holding chamaram, Garuda, Narada, Tumburu, the divine forms of the six weapons of Vishnu, Surya, Chandra, the Saptarshi, Madhu, and Kaitabha are also in the Sanctum. Only the King of Travancore may prostrate on the "Ottakkal-mandapam". It is traditionally held that anybody who prostrates on the mandapam has surrendered all that he possesses to the deity. Since the ruler has already done that he is permitted to prostrate on this mandapam.
Temple rituals
Festivals and rites
There are many festivals associated with this temple. The major festivals are bi-annual. The Aipasi festival and the Panguni festival in the Tamil month of aipasi (October/November) and Panguni (March/April) respectively last for 10 days each. On the ninth day, the Maharaja of Travancore, in his capacity as 'Thrippappoor Mooppan', escorts the deities to the 'Vettakkalam', for 'Pallivetta'. Centuries ago, the Pallivetta procession was said to pass through Kaithamukku, Kuthiravattom (Kunnumpuram) and Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram as well as Putharikkandam. The festivals culminate with the Aarat (holy bath) procession to the Shankumugham Beach. The word Aarat refers to the purifying immersion of the deities of the temple in the sea (the Indian Ocean. This event takes place in the evening. The Maharaja of Travancore escorts the Aarat procession on foot. The festival idols ("Utsava Vigrahas") of Padmanabhaswamy, Narasimha Moorthi and Krishna Swami are given a ritual bath in the sea, after the prescribed Poojas. After this ceremony, the idols are taken back to the temple in a procession that is lit by traditional torches, marking the conclusion of the festival.
A major annual festival related to Padmanabhaswamy temple is the Navaratri festival. The idols of Saraswati Amman, Mun Uditha Nangai (Parasakti, who appeared before Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati to help them identify their husbands who had been transformed into infants by the power of chastity of Anasuya) and Kumara Swami (Murugan) are brought from the Padmanabhapuram Palace, Suchindram, and Kumarakovil respectively to the Kuthira malika palace, in front of Padmanabhaswamy temple in a procession. This festival lasts for 9 days. The famous Swathi Sangeethotsavam music festival is held every year during this festival in the Navratri mandapam and in some other surrounding temples. The festival was named in honour of the Maharaja of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma and is organized by his descendant in the Royal Family, Prince Rama Varma.
The biggest festival in this temple is Laksha Deepam which means "one lakh lamps". This festival is observed once in 6 years. Prior to this festival, chanting of prayers and recitation of three Vedas is done for 56 days, a practice called the Murajapam. On the last day of the Murajappam, one lakh oil lamps are lit, in and around the temple premises.