Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala - December, 2016
The temple complex spread on 7 acres is located in Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The temple portrays the intricate confluence of the indigenous Kerala style and the Dravidian style of architecture in stone and bronze. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha) is located on a stone slab with the 18 ft long main idol reclining on serpent hood, which can be viewed through three different doors. The 100 feet high, seven storied Gopuram made in Pandyan style is built on the eastern entrance has seven domes on the top that serve as pointers to the seven worlds. There is an eighty-foot flag post (Dhwaja stambha) in front of the temple which is covered with gold plated copper sheets.
This aesthetic structure consists of multiplicity of mandapams for different rituals. The temple interior is adorned by beautiful paintings and murals of different deities. Padmatheertham is the oldest sacred water resource is located on the eastern side of the temple. Sreebalippura, the magnificent rectangular corridor supported by 365 and one quarter granite stone pillar with elaborate carving extends from eastern side into the
Sanctum sanctorum.
The temple and its assets belong to Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and are controlled by a trust run by the Royal family of Travancore. The most attractive festival is the Laksha deepam when one lakh oil lamps are lit in and around the temple premises and is celebrated once in
six years.
Source:
https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/padmanabha-swamy-temple- thiruvananthapuram/13
http://ananthapadmanabhaswamy.blogspot.in/2011/07/sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple
http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org/attractions.aspx