Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple - Hidden in secret

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the most celebrated and legendary Temple in Kerala’s state capital is Thiruvananthapuram nowadays  constantly hitting the headlines of national & international newspapers & media alike on account of the vast treasures discovered in its secret chambers. As countless debates continue about the treasure values (estimated to be in many billion-dollars) and the temple being the richest in not only India but all over the world, an insight into this sacred shrine’s flashback unearths the time-tested unshaken bond between a bygone royal dynasty and their state shrine.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Enterance to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Looking Back

Regarded as one among the holiest 108 Vaishnava Thirupa (sacred abodes of Lord Vishnu) in India, the exact age of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is still debated. This temple is mentioned in several ancient Hindu ‘puranas’ (epics) though officially recorded facts dated back to 7th / 8th centuries. Legends states, Anantha Padmanabha – the deity of this Temple – was originally at the Anantha Padmanabha Lake Temple in Kasargod  district, North Kerala. A tryst with an ardent devotee, Sage Vilwamangalam, saw the Lord shifting his base to the Southern zone.

Road to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The present Temple was built in the forested land Ananthan-kadu. In due course of time the city was known by the Temple’s name – ‘Thiru Anantha Puram’ meaning the ‘Land of Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy’. It was the chief shrine of then-dynasty Aayi Kings, predecessors of Venad Kings. Before the Venad rulers gained foothold the Temple was under ‘Ettera-yogam’ – Association of Ettu Veettil Pillamaar, a powerful group of 8 feudal lords that held sway over Venad in 15th – 16th centuries. With the local feudal lords at one end and emerging European trading powers at the other, the domestic situation was in turmoil and it was left over to Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma the then- crown-prince to bring the situation under Kerala control. His accession to the throne was an eventful chapter in History which saw the annihilation of feudal powers and checking of colonial traders’ advances in the South.

Anantha Padmanabha Lake Temple

Widely considered as the valiant & powerful King of his generation, Marthanda Varma had high regards for Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. During his reign (1729-58) he conquered neighboring provinces and turned the tiny Venad into a powerful Kingdom of Travancore. After firmly establishing his Kingdom, Marthanda Varma reconstructed & enlarged Padmanabhaswamy Temple and, performed the exemplary act of ‘Thrippadi danam’ – dedicating his Kingdom & wealth to the Lord and rule on behalf of the Lord’s will – to Sree Padmanabha in 1750 AD. Thereafter, Travancore Kingdom was regarded as the sole property of Lord Padmanabhaswamy and the King became Padmanabha-dasa alias ‘In service of Lord Sree Padmanabha’.

Anizham Thirunal Marthanda

Marthanda Varma and his succeeding Travancore Kings considered their assets as offerings to Lord Padmanabha. Even the small kingdoms under Travancore considered the Lord as their master and offered their valuables to the Temple as tokens of devotion & regards. Apart from the Travancore Kings, who wholeheartedly bestowed so many priceless assets (gold, silver, diamonds …) to their State Temple, several Royals from different parts of India and foreign rulers too, donated countless invaluable souvenirs to Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The reigning King(s) safely guarded the Temple’s treasures and ruled without eyeing their dizzy value, as they considered it as God’s own property for which it’s their duty to protect. In fact, as they treated themselves as the servants of the Lord, Travancore Kings never wore a Crown (except for a brief time during their swearing-in ceremony). Such was the Travancore Royal clan’s bonding with Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Even old testimonies state, the Kings served their people without making use of any Temple’s treasures and even without imposing unnecessary taxes  – a sharp contrast to the present governing system of Kerala where the word ‘corruption’ is more like a brand name!

Lake behind Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The rituals and customs introduced by King Marthanda Varma were voluntarily followed by all the successors to the throne of Travancore… until the Kings lost their authority with the formation of Independent India in 1947. However the last reigning King of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma continued his duties & services to the Temple, strictly in accordance with earlier customs, till his death and now the Temple administration is handled by the present head of the royal clan, Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma.

Festival at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Temple Specialties

The royal legacy of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple cannot be complete without mentioning its unique features. The Temple architecture itself is one-of-a-kind. Distinctly different from traditional Kerala architectural style, Padmanabhaswamy Temple showcases a nice blend of Dravidian-Kerala structural combination, which can be found nowhere else in the state.

Unique features of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Temple complex is flanked by ‘Padma Theertham’ (means, Lotus Pond), a sacred pond which is considered as old as the Temple itself. On the north-east side of the pond, lies a cave inside which a small Lord Shiva Temple is located. The most interesting feature of this pond is a raised stone at its center, which is believed to bear the footmarks of Lord Vishnu (Sree Padmanabhaswamy). Devotees cleanse themselves in Padma Theertham before proceeding for Temple worship. Also they feed the fishes in this pond as a mark of devotion.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple with pond

Inside the Temple complex, what stand amongst the numerous sculptural beauties are the ‘the Bali Peeda Mandapam’ and ‘Mukha Mandapam’, two artistically sculptured halls dating back to the era of King Marthanda Varma. Another notable feature here is the ‘Navagraha Mandapa’, where the ceiling displays the Navagrahas (Nine Planets, which according to Hindu philosophy signifies different stages in human life) – something rarely seen typical Kerala Temples.

Padma Theertham aka Lotus Pond

The chief deity, Lord Anatha Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu in a reclining position on the Serpant Anantha), is consecrated in a unique way. The 18 feet long idol is built with 10,008 precious saligram stones, and can be viewed through three doors – Lord’s head and his right hand, hanging over the Shivalingam, thro’ first door, the middle portion with Lord Brahma seated on a lotus (which comes from the navel of Lord Vishnu) thro’ the second door and, Lord’s feet thro’ the third door.

Bali Peeda Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam

As with the ancient legendary Temples around the world, Padmanabhaswamy Temple too has got its own share of distinct murals and wood-works. For the people who throng to the Temple at all times, it’s a feast for eyes as well as mind.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple in night

With the recent discovery of Padmanabhaswamy Temple’s immense treasure trove led to a new twist over the Temple affairs. The legal battles for Temple management go on and people continue to ponder over the fate of the treasure… Whatever be the outcome; staunch devotees are certain that Lord Sree Padmanabhaswamy continues to grace his subjects and Thriuvananthapuram (and Kerala) will remain ‘God’s Own Country’ forever as the ‘Land of Sree Padmanabhaswamy’, to be precise the.

Idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy

Vishnu Temple - treasure of stone hidden in the jungles (Angkor Wat)

Ancient Indian Temple - Angkor Wat - Cambodia

In the north-east of Cambodia, 300 km from its capital Phnom Penh, can be found the capital of the ancient Khmer empire, Angkor. Hidden during centuries in the middle of the jungle, it was totally isolated from the rest of the world until the year 1860 when French missionaries discovered it.

Angkor

The origin of this city is placed in the reign of Jayavarman ll. (810-850 AD), founder of the Khmer Empire, who initiated the cult of the Hindu deities, and the splendour lasted till approximately the year 1225. The architectural complex, which occupies an extension of 400 km2, is composed of monumental temples built during this period and are a jewel of Indian art. In 1992 the UNESCO named the entire monumental complex of Angkor as forming the Patrimony of Mankind.

The main temples temple groups are Angkor Thom, Ta Prom and Angkor Wat. The oldest ones were built with bricks, in the subsequent ones laterite was used, a coloured mud stone, and the most recent are of sandstone.

What is most striking about the Temple of Ta Prom, the only one that has not been restored, is that nature has been gaining territory and the trees, their enormous roots have invaded the monuments, forming a part of the sculpture complex. In Angkor Thom the temple Bayon is found, which was built in the X11 century under the reign of Jayavarman V11, it has a moat of 100 metres depth and an extension of 12 km, which protected a population of around one million persons.

Indian got statue in Angkor

Its tower of 45 m height is crowned by four enormous sculpted heads and surrounded by 54 minor towers, each of them with four smiling heads that, supposedly, represent the king himself.

The most representative temple of the entire complex is the so called Angkor Wat, dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, ordered to be built by the king Suryavarnam II, who reigned between the years 1131 and 1150 AD It is calculated that for the construction of this temple the same quantity of stone was used as for the construction of the big Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, in Gizeh. Thirty years were needed for the construction. This temple is oriented towards the West, contrary to the other temples, which are oriented towards the East. Five towers of perfect symmetry that represent the five hills of the mountain Meru, the house of the gods and the centre of the Hindu universe form it. A moat and three galleries surround the five central sanctuaries. It has the biggest relieves of the world, which narrate histories from the Hindu mythology. The whole complex occupies two square kilometres and is the biggest religious temple in the world.

The sculptures of the temple of Angkor Wat are in good condition since, after the decline of the ancient Khmer Empire, it became a Buddhist temple and was continuously maintained, which has helped in the conservation, contrary to the other temples of Angkor. What it has not escaped, as is also case of the great majority of monuments in the east, has been from plunder and pillage. Even the torsos of the relieves have been taken away, as can be seen in the images.

Complete Angkor Wat 

The history of Angkor Wat goes back to the second century after Christ, an epoch in which the reign of Funan, of Indian origin, was established. Indian traders settled in the area and during four centuries there was an age of prosperity and tranquillity. The site being located in the transit area between China and India, Hinduism and Chinese Buddhism influenced the habitants, which are reflected in their temples, bringing to mind those of the North of India and Nepal.

The reign of Funan fell in the year 600 against the reign of Chenla, ending commerce with India and the empire from Indonesia came to power. In the year 800 the reign of Kambuja was established, the head of which was Jayavarman I, who built several towns close to Angkor Wat, he was responsible for many social changes and increased his empire towards the north and the east. During centuries Kambuja lived a period of prosperity.

The King Suryavarnam, in the year 1000 planned the construction of the city of Angkor, a task continued by his successor, Udayadityavarnam II, who restored several temples and under whose reign Angkor became at the same time a sacred city and the centre of a vast irrigation system. The expansion lasted two more centuries, a period in which the temple of Angkor Wat was built. But in the beginning of the year 1200 the empires of Khmer and Angkor began to decay. The Thai empire emerged as the most powerful of the area and the conquests of the Khmer empire by the Thai empire lead to the definite abandoning of the city of Angkor. The forest became the master during centuries of many of these temples.

Panorama view of Angkor

Since the year 1908 the Conservatory of Angkor is responsible for the maintenance of the temples, depending on the Government of Cambodia. The civil war that lasted 30 years till the seventies, in which the Khmer Rouge massacred many Buddhists as a part of the social reorganisation, did not do much damage to the temples, several temples were moved to museums for their protection.

The temples currently are being restored with the collaboration of archaeologists from all over the world. But the world can today marvel once again at this masterpiece of stone, and among the ruins contemplate the passage of time and so much history and bygone eras.