[Click on above pictures to enlarge. Source of pictures unknown.]
A divya dEsam that combines delicate beauty with royal
majesty, Thiruvananthapuram provides a sublime experience for the devotee. Lord Anantha padmanAbha Swami resting on Adi
sEshan is an awe-inspiring sight to behold. Like the nearby divya dEsam of
ThiruvattAru, there are three entrances to the sannidhi to facilitate the
devotees’ vision of the entire thirumEni of the Lord. Everything in this temple
is grand and beautiful. The temple follows the kEraLa protocol of worship that
maintains a superlative degree of discipline and purity.
Lately this Divya dEsam has been in the news for the putative
discovery of treasure in the secret chambers of this temple. There have been
several estimates of these riches – all varying depending on the imagination
and fantasy of the reporters. Quite
understandably, there are also media reports and rumours of more riches
awaiting discovery in the temple. There are also numerous stories of the
underground secret chambers being filled with snakes, protected by magic spells
etc. Whether these are true is best left to individual imagination.
Incidentally, there are plenty of similar stories about many temples in India
that have kindled the ambitions of treasure-seekers. Most, if not all, of these
stories have been proven to be completely untrue. The real treasure in this
temple is the Compassion and Grace of Lord Sri Anantha padmanAbha Swami!
Location and Access:
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of the south Indian
state of kEraLA. It is well connected by rail, road and air (airport code TRV).
It has a wide variety of food and stay options to cater to all budgets. The
divya dEsam of Thiruvananthapuram is located close (approx. 1 km) from the
city’s railway station.
The Temple:
The mUlavar here is SrI anantha padmanAbha swAmi perumAL and
the thAyAr is SrI hari Lakshmi (no separate sannidhi for thAyAr). The theertham
is called Matsya theertham and the vimAnam is known as hEmakUda vimAnam. The main gopuram of the temple is very broad. The thirumEni of the Lord is so huge (about
18 feet) that He has to be viewed through three doors in the sannidhi. The
mUlavar here has a very serene expression on His divine face. The sanctum is
illuminated only by ghee and oil lamps. The thirumEni of the Lord is said to be
made of over 10000 sAlagrAmam stones. The uthsavar with thAyArs is also seen in
the sannidhi. SridEvi and bhUdEvi are also seen seated in front of the mUlavar.
SivA and brahmA are also seen in the sanctum. The right Hand of the Lord is
seen hanging over a Siva lingA and brahmA is seen seated on a lotus that
emerges from the Lord’s navel. There is also a small sannidhi for Sri rAmA near
the main sanctum.
There is a huge stone platform in front of the sanctum
sanctorum. Immediately outside the sanctum is a beautiful mandapam with silver
plated stone pillars. Outside this mandapam, there is a very beautiful, small
sannidhi for SrI yOga narasimhA.
The temple has huge corridors adorned with beautiful
sculptures – made of both wood and stone. In fact, it can be argued that the sculptures
here are the most beautiful and delicate among all the divya dEsams. There is a
separate sannidhi for Sri KrishnA. The
temple’s architecture is very different from the traditional kEraLA style. In
fact, it seems to combine elements of the Dravidian (Tamil nAdu style)
architecture with kEraLA elements.
The temple can be fully covered in a couple of hours (if not
crowded), although you could spend a lifetime enjoying the beauty of this
temple. I had the opportunity of visiting the temple between 3.30-5 AM and it
was a wonderful experience. Visiting the temple at this time also gives us an
opportunity to watch the thirumanjanam for the uthsavar in the sanctum. Also,
when I visited temple there was a group of three devotees circumambulating the
temple singing MalayALam songs in praise
of the Lord to the tune of a tambura in gentle tones. It was a mesmerizing
experience.
Legends and History:
According to legend, an ascetic divAkara yOgi prayed to Sri
perumAL intensely. The Lord incarnated as a 2 year old child and stayed with
the yOgi. One day, while the yOgi was performing his daily prayers, the child
took one of his salagramam stones and put it in its mouth. Irritated at this,
the yOgi scolded the child. The latter ran away and was followed by the yOgi.
Even as the yOgi watched, the child entered the hollow of a tree. The tree fell
apart and Sri Vishnu Himself appeared in a huge form. divAkara yOgi prayed that
the Lord reduce His size. Accordingly the Lord assumed His current form (as in
Thiruvananthapuram).
The exact age of the temple is still debated. The temple is
mentioned in several purANAs (epics). Official records date back to the 7-8th
centuries AD. The recorded history of the temple is very strongly linked to the
royal family of Travancore in kEraLA.
King mArthAnda varmA (regnal period 1729-58) was a powerful monarch who
consolidated the territories of the Travancore Kingdom. He surrendered the
Kingdom to the Lord Sri ananthapadmanAbha swAmi and declared himself a vassal of the Lord. Since then, the kings of
the Travancore Royal Family have called themselves “padmanAbha dAsa” (servants
of Sri padmanAbhA) and have ruled the kingdom on His behalf. Even today the
King of the Travancore Royal Family is visits the temple every day. If he is
not able to visit on a particular day, he is obligated to pay a fine!
AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:
nammAzhwAr 3678-88
[Note: The numbering convention for the pAsurams seems to
differ in various Divya Prabandham books. In some Divya Prabandham books, the
same pAsurams by nammAzhwAr is listed as #3085-3095]
A sample pAsuram:
கெடும்
இடராயவெல்லாம் கேசவா என்ன நாளும்
கொடுவினை
செய்யும்கூற்றின் தமர்களும் குறுககில்லார்
விடமுடை
யரவில்பள்ளி விரும்பினான் சுரும்பலற்றும்
தடமுடை
வயல் அனந்த புரநகர்
புகுதும் இன்றே
In this
pAsuram, Sri nammAzhwAr states that all our misery will be destroyed if we
chant the sacred name of “kEsavA”. Also, if we chant this Name, the emissaries
of Yama will not approach us. So Sri nammAzhwAr exhorts us to go to “ananthapura-nagar”(Thiruvananthapuram)
surrounded by agricultural fields, where the Lord reclines on a venomous
serpent.
This divya
dEsam has also been glorified by SwAmi dEsikan.
SrI hari lakshmi thAyAr samEtha SrI anantha padmanAbha swAmi
thiruvadigaLae saraNam
