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City: Thiruvananthapuram State: Kerala Location: South India Year of Construction: 1600 Constructed By: Marthanda varma Type of Construction: Ancient Type of Building: Temple Dedicated To: Lord Vishnu Other Deities: Ganapathi, Hanuman, Rama, Narasimha, Ayyappa, Sree Religion: Hinduism Importance: This is one of the oldest temples in kerala that is not under the rule of the Devaswom board.
The temple has very ancient architecture and it has stood testimony to the times. Famous For The lord Mahavishnu in sleeping posture. Festival: Arattu Festival on November Best Time: April/May and Oct/Nov. Entry Formalities Men: Dhoti and without shirts. Women: Sarees Accomodation: Accomodations are easily available at the hotels in Thiruvananthapuram. Accesibility: Easy access to East fort from Railway station. from east fort the temple is at a walkable distance.
Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to other places by air, rail and road. Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a huge structure located in the heart of the thiruvananthapuram city with a 100 feet gopuram (tower). This richly sculptured structure was renovated in 1733. The presiding deity Sree Padmanabhaswamy is Lord Vishnu, reclining on the serpent 'Anantha'. The temple has a blend of Dravidian and Kerala style architecture and sprawls over a vast area. The entry to the shrine is restricted to only Hindus.
Pallivetta (Royal hunt) and Arattu (Holy bath) are two important rituals held as part of the festivals in some of the major temples in Kerala. The uniqueness of the Arattu at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is that the head of the royal family of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom still escorts the idols during the procession donning his traditional attire. During Pallivetta the head of the royal family shoots a tender coconut using a bow and arrow. This ritual is symbolic of Lord Vishnu (the presiding deity of the shrine) hunting down the demon of evil in a forest and is held in front of the Sundravilasam Palace inside the Thiruvananthapuram fort. The Pallivetta is held on the eve of Arattu.
