Padmanābhasvāmī, Thiruvananthapuram

Viṣṇu reclining on Ananta · Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

The Padmanābhasvāmī temple gives Kerala’s capital its name: Thiru-Ananta-puram, the city of the sacred serpent Ananta. Viṣṇu reclines on Ananta in a vast image, seen through three doors — face, navel with the lotus bearing Brahmā, and feet.

The former rulers of Travancore dedicated their kingdom to the deity and ruled as Padmanābha-dāsa, “servants of Padmanābha”. It is one of the 108 Divya Deśams. A strict dress code applies and entry is restricted to Hindus. The Alpaśi and Paiṅkuni festivals end with a procession to the sea.

Tradition says the sage Divākara Muni longed to see Viṣṇu, who came to him as a mischievous child. When the sage scolded the boy, he vanished into a tree, saying he could be found in the Ananta forest. Following him, the sage saw the tree fall and become the immense reclining form of Viṣṇu.

Kerala · Anantaśayana Viṣṇu · Divya Deśam · Dress code

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