Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple:
A ‘Maha Kumbhabhishekam’ was recently performed at the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram after 270 years.
- It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.
- The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to “The City of Lord Ananta”,referring to the deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
- The earliest recorded mention of the temple is from the 8th or 9th century CE, although the temple is likely older.
- The temple was built and rebuilt over the centuries, most recently by Martanda Varma, king of Travancore, who in 1750 donated the kingdom to the deity.
- It is a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture.
- The idol of Vishnu is in the Anantha shayanam posture, the eternal yogic rest posture on his serpent Adisheshan.
- In 2011 the temple was the subject of international news when an exploration of its vaults revealed a wealth of jewels, precious metals, and other treasures.
- It is also widely believed to be the world’s richest temple.
