Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple

The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is situated in Trivandrum, Kerala. Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala.It dedrives its name from the presiding deity (Sri Vishnu) of this temple. When I first came to Kerala, I heard about the magnificent idol that is so long that it has to be seen through three doors.

It was later that I found out that the doors have a different significance. Through the first door, you worship Lord Shiva, through the second- Lord Brahma and through the third-Sri Vishnu. According to Indian mythology, Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva is the destroyer. It was also much later that it was found that this temple is the richest temple in the world with a treasure amounting to Rs 120,000 crores,locked in vaults beneath the temple.

The palace extends on one side of the temple and is beautiful in its simplicity. The royal family of Travancore, as it is known, is extremely unassuming. It is said that they have devoted their lives to the deity and are actually ruling the state on his behalf. The Maharaja has to give a daily account to the deity regarding the expenditure and rule of the state. This custom is followed to this day and the temple remains closed from 7am to 8am on account of this. If on any day, the king is unable to go to the temple, he has to pay a fine. Men are not allowed to wear shirts inside the temple. Women have to be appropriately dressed to enter the temple. Mundus(traditional garment) are sold on the premises and you have to just wrap one before you enter the temple. Non- Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple.

It is said that the man who filed the RTI for declaring the wealth of the temple, died the day after the first vault was opened. Some people believe it to be the curse of God, as the vaults did have a snake insignia, signifying that they are protected by the Lord and should never be opened. The other story goes that this man was born to reveal the treasures of the temple and he claimed that the Lord appeared to him in his dreams and told him about this vast treasure. The day after he fulfilled his destiny, he passed away.

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