Supreme Court upholds the right of Travancore royal family in administration of #SriPadmanabhaSwamy Temple, Kerala. It's one of the most fascinating temples located in Thiruvananthapuram. It's currently run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore.
Read to know more.

The Maharajahs of Travancore are Cheras & descendants of the great saint Kulashekhara Alwar. Of all the Hindu temples in India, Sri PadmanabhaSwamy Temple is the wealthiest. According to Guinness World Records, it replaced Tirupati Balaji Temple as richest temple in the world.

It's one of the 108 Divya Desams in India and these are mentioned by Hindu saints between 6th and 9th centuries AD as the holiest abodes of Vishnu.
The principal deity Lord Vishnu is enshrined in the "Anantha-sayanam" posture (eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on the serpent Anantha).

The serpent has 5 hoods facing inwards, signifying contemplation. Lord's right hand is placed over a Shiva Lingam. Sridevi, Goddess of Prosperity & Bhudevi Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu are by his side. Brahma emerges on a lotus, which emanates from navel of the Lord.

Mahakshetram (Great temple) :
Other than the spiritual and structural aspects, ten characteristics elevate the position of a temple to a Mahakshetram. Sri PadmanabhaSwamy temple qualifies all of the following ten:

Antiquity
Presence of records Historical importance Origin in a forest
Nearness to an ocean Location at an elevation Royal connections
Mention in ancient literatures
Magnificence of architecture
Grandeur of festivals.

It’s believed that 12 Salagramas stones, when worshipped together gain the potency of a Mahakshetram. The interior of the Katusarkara Idol of Sri PadmanabhaSwamy is made up of 12000 and eight Salagramas collected from the bed of the river Gandaki in Nepal.

Salagramas represent Shri Maha Vishnu. The presence of Shiva within the Shrikovil adds great significance to the sanctity of a Maha Kshetram dedicated to Vishnu. Many areas of the temple are adorned with the images of Lord Shiva.

The Ottakkal Mandapam (single stone platform) in the temple is a striking feature. It's in front of sanctum sanctorum of Shri PadmanabhaSwamy. It is built with a single slab of granite which is two and a half feet thick and 20 feet sq. Its granite pillars are covered with gold.

It is a marvelous #Architectural work on stone. It is supported by 28 balustrades of pillars. The pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when tapped. The pillars are adorned with exquisitely carved figures in half and full relief.

An eighty feet high pole near the eastern corridor was installed by Anizham Tirunal. A teak wood of this dimension was carried from the nearby forest to the temple. As per Shastras the wood should not touch the ground while in transport.

The teak pole was then covered completely with gold foils. The apex of the flag pole has a figure of Garuda Swamy, in kneeling posture. The Temple has nine entrances, indicating the nine orifices of the human body.

The Temple has a seven storeyed gopuram built on the eastern entrance of about 35 meters height. On the top there are 7 golden domes suggesting pointers to the seven Worlds. The 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are portrayed inside the first storey of the gopuram.

Entry to the upper levels of the Gopuram is restricted. The temple has a large number of sacred water resources situated even in places far away from the temple. Of these, the main one is Padmatheertham. It is one of the oldest water bodies in the city of Thiruvananthapuram.

In 2011, the Supreme Court sent a 7 member committee to the temple. In the presence of the Head Trustee of Travencore Trust, the temple's six secret vaults were opened. Secret underground chambers were discovered to hold an immense amount of treasure.

According to local legends, the kings of Travancore had hidden their vast wealth within the stone walls and vaults of the temple. Some believe that the vaults should not be opened, and that they were protected by a curse.

This is especially true of the chamber known simply as ‘Vault B’, where it is considered to be fixed to the secret chamber with the ‘naga bandham’ or ‘naga paasam’ ‘mantras’ by the then ‘Siddha Purashas’ who lived during the reign of king Marthandavarma in the 16th century.

It's said that a door of such secret vault can be opened by a highly erudite ‘Sadhu’ or ‘Mantrikas’ who are familiar with knowledge of extricating ‘naga bandham’ or ‘naga pasam’ by chanting Garuda Mantra. Except in this way, the door cannot be opened by any means by anyone.

It is said that the temple is protected by some Divine intervention. Attempts were made on Vault B, to open it with man-made technology. However, it could only be opened with the help of chanting a Mantra. What does it exactly entail!

Dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, the Temple is one of the principal centres of Vaishnava worship in the dharma of Vaishnavism. The origin of PadmanabhaSwamy temple is well preserved in antiquity.

Although the origin of this temple still remains a mystery, devotees believe it to have existed since the first day of the Kali Yuga, which was 5000 years ago. The PadmanabhaSwamy temple also has a mention in the Bhagwad Gita.

One is not allowed to enter the temple if they haven’t taken up Hinduism as their only faith. There is a strict dress code which one must follow. And the basic necessity being ultimate faith in Lord Vishnu.
(Summer equinox through the Gopuram).