Sree Padmanabhaswamy God of Thiruvananthapuram

Sree Padmanabhaswamy God of Thiruvananthapuram

Sree Padmanabha Swamy is the regarded as the God of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Thiruvananthapuram city derived its name after the Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in the heart of the city. “Thiru – Anantha – Puram” means the “Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha”. The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu in India and the primary Divyadesam in Kerala state. Lord Vishnu is enshrined in the temple in “Ananta Sayanam” posture in the eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on the serpent Ananta Shesha.

Temple Maintained by Travancore Royal Family

This ancient Lord Vishnu temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture, and references to the temple can be found in the early medieval writings of the Tamil Alvars, dating back to 6th & 9th centuries CE. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is regarded to be the family deity of Travancore Kings and the temple is maintained by the Royal Family of Travancore. The Travancore Kings consider themselves as ‘Padmanabha-dasa’ or the Servant of Lord Padmanabha. His Royal Highness Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma is the present head of the Travancore royal family.

Padmanabha – An Aspect of Lord Vishnu

The word “Padmanabha” literally means “One with Lotus Shaped Navel”. Padmanabha is one of the characteristics of Mahavishnu represented with a lotus flower originating from the God’s navel on which Lord Brahma, one among the Trimurthis of Hinduism, sits. Sree Padmanabha is also known by the names Padmanabha Perumal and Anantha Padmabhaswami.