Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is one of the 108 Divya Deshams (holy abodes of Lord Mahavishnu). The abode of Lord Vishnu, this temple is situated at East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.
The temple which has a rich heritage dating back to the eighth century is managed by the Travancore royal family. The deity here is in the ‘ananthasayanam’ posture in which Lord Mahavishnu is portrayed as reclining in cosmic slumber over the serpent god Anantha.
Alpashi which falls during the months of October/November and Painkuni during March/April are the major festivals at the temple.
It is recorded in the history that, it was during the reign of King Marthanda Varma, the temple was renovated lastly and later he himself dedicated the kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha. The act is known in history as “Trippadidhanam”. And vowed that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa (servant of Lord Padmanabha).
Treasure trove
The temple was in news recently when a massive board of treasure was found kept in secret vaults inside the structure. A Supreme Court-appointed team made an inventory of the valuables in the vaults which included jewelry, artifacts and utensils made of pure gold, other precious metals and stones. The total value of the treasure is estimated to be over Rs 10 million crores making the temple the richest Hindu shrine in the world.
The temple is now being considered as the most wealthiest temple in India.