Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Richest temple in the world

Padmanabhaswamy Temple – The Richest temple in the world

Anantha Padmanabha Temple, Trivandrum, Kerala

Padmanabhaswamy temple, also known as Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple (Malayalam: ശ്രീ പത്മനാഭസ്വാമി ക്ഷേത്രം, śṟī patmaṉābhasvāmi kṣētṟaṁ ?), is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to god Vishnu located inside East Fort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state, South India. It is the world’s richest Hindu temple and is one of the 108 Divya Desams, Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil poet saints called Alvars. The principal deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Vishnu in “Anananta-sayanam” (Vishnu in the eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on the serpent Ananta) posture. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a very ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram derives its name from the name of Ananta, the presiding deity enshrined in the temple.

Read More : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple

Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple Richest Hindu Temple

Kerala temple could well be the richest in country
Thiruvananthapuram, July 2
The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala could well be the richest in the country as unofficial estimates Saturday, the sixth day of preparing an inventory of treasures in its six chambers, suggested the value of its gold, diamond and other precious metals at close to Rs.one lakh crore.
The inventory of the temple here, maintained by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, is being made by a seven-member Supreme Court-appointed panel. The stock-taking process was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over mismanagement of the temple affairs. On Monday, ahead of entering the temple chambers for the first time, the committee chairman, retired Kerala High Court judge M.N. Krishnan, said he hoped to finish the entire process by the end of the week. The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee. With chamber B yet to be opened and chamber A’s accounting ending Saturday, and two more chambers left unopened yet, it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days. The inventory of a chamber opened Friday could only be completed Saturday. The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds. Other precious items that were accounted for Saturday included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each. Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds. The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members. The Kerala government has maintained high security at the temple after the exercise started. City police commissioner Manoj Abraham said additional 80 personnel of the special armed police (SAP) will be posted at the temple. Historian and veteran journalist M. Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family. The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of ‘yognidra’. The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings. As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.

How to reach ?

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple can easily be accessed by road being its ideal location near the Trivandrum City Bus Station in East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. The inter-state highway, National Highway 47 (NH 47) connects Thiruvananthapuram to all major cities and nearby states including Kollam, Ernakulam (Kochi), Thrissur, Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Chennai, and Bangalore.

Nearest Bus Station

Thiruvananthapuram City Bus Station at East Fort is the nearest bus station to reach the temple. The City Bus Station is just a walking distance from the temple. Thiruvananthapuram Central Bus Station, situated opposite to the railway station, is just a kilometer away from the temple.

By Flight / Airport

Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport to reach Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The airport is just 7 km from the temple.

Nearest Railway Station

Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station is the nearest railway station, just 1 km away from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Trivandrum Central Railway Station is one of the major railway stations in Kerala, managed by Southern Railways. Himsagar Express (Kanyakumari – Kashmir), Rajdhani Express, Howrah Express, Sabari Express (Trivandrum – Hyderabad), and Guruvayur Express (Chennai – Guruvayoor) are some of the major trains passing through Trivandrum Railway Station.

Contact Address / Location

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Mathilakom Office
East Fort
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Kerala, India
Pin Code – 695023

Contact Telephone Numbers

Phone – 0471 – 2450233; 2466830
Fax – 0471 – 2450233