The mesmerizing Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple is located in the East fort at Pazhavangadi of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This is the temple of Bhagwan Shri Vishnu which is an ancient structure that was even visited by Balarama, according to Srimad Bhagavatam. 1/n

This temple also has references in Puranas like Skanda Purana and Padma Purana. According to the ancient scriptures, it was believed to be built over 5000 years ago but has no perfect pieces of evidence. (2/14)
There is a holy tank called Padma Theerdham meaning lotus spring near the temple.

This temple has recently got very famous for its hidden treasures with which it is claimed to be the richest temple in the world. (3/14)
The History Behind This Temple
There used to be a great Vishnu devotee called as Divakar Muni at Aanarthadesa who performed his daily rituals and pujas in a perfect manner without fail. One day, (4/14)
the Muni saw a little boy near his ashram and got so fascinated that he requested the boy to stay with him. The boy agreed on a condition that he should never be insulted. The Muni used to tolerate the childish acts of this boy with patience. (5/14)
But one day when Muni was performing puja, the boy took the Salagrama to which the muni offers his prayers and kept it in his mouth and defiled it, at which the Muni got enraged that he chastised and asked the boy to leave the place immediately. (6/14)
The boy while leaving said to Muni to come to Ananthankaadu if he wants to meet him.

After a while, the Muni realized the boy to be Shree Hari Vishnu himself who responded to his prayers of blessing him with 'Divya Darshanam'. Then the Muni who left in search of that boy, (7/14)
came finally to Ananthankaadu only to witness the boy merging into an Iluppa tree (Indian Butter tree) and the tree falling down and emerging into a huge Vishnu idol. The idol was too huge that the head of it was at Thiruvallam, (8/14)
which is three miles from the east fort and the feet were at Trippapur, which is five miles towards north from the place.

Then the Muni prayed Shree Hari to shrink to the size that he can behold him for which the idol was shrunk to 18ft size. (9/14)
The Muni then offered some raw mango which he got from some nearby place, keeping in a coconut shell. This offering still continues in this temple as a custom. (10/14)
Idol of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy
The main Idol of Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy is located in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where the presiding deity is Shree Vishnu reclining on Anantha (also called as Seshnag or the hooded serpent) with his right hand on Sivalinga (11/14)
and having a lotus in his left hand. The Brahma is seen in the lotus flower which is originated from the navel of the Lord Vishnu.

The idol is 18ft long and can be seen through three doors, which means head and chest through the first door, (12/14)
hands through the second door and feet through the third door. This posture is called as Anantha Sayanam meaning Yogic sleep. The idols of Sridevi, Bhudevi along with Narasimhaswamy, Ganapathi and Gajalakshmi are seen beside this idol. (13/14)
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𝑩𝑯𝑨𝑮𝑾𝑨𝑨𝑵 𝑹𝑨𝑴'𝑺 𝑺𝑬𝑪𝑹𝑬𝑻 𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮

Sita Maa was now sobing in the Ashok vatika. She forgot about Bhagwan Ram as She was only thinking about death. This moment to Hanumanji felt like years.


कपि करि हृदयँ बिचार दीन्हि मुद्रिका डारि तब।
जनु असोक अंगार दीन्ह हरषि उठि कर गहेउ॥

Hanumanji bowed to Sitaji in His mind and dropped Bhagwan Ram’s ring. Sitaji sprang up with joy and took it in Her hand as though the Ashok tree had thrown a spark.

Sitaji recognised the ring with the name Ram engraved on it. She now remembered Ram and forgot death. She was in a dilemma. My Swamy's ring here? How? The Bhagwan is invincible so no one can attain this ring by conquering Him nor can it be re-made deceitfully.

At that time, Hanumanji began narrating Shri Ram Katha.

रामचंद्र गुन बरनैं लागा। सुनतहिं सीता कर दुख भागा॥
लागीं सुनैं श्रवन मन लाई। आदिहु तें सब कथा सुनाई

When Hanumanji narrates a katha, the listener’s sorrows leave immediately. Sitaji’s sadness disappeared.

She began to listen to the katha intently. When Hanumanji finished, Sitaji asked, “𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇?

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॥ॐ॥
अस्य श्री गायत्री ध्यान श्लोक:
(gAyatri dhyAna shlOka)
• This shloka to meditate personified form of वेदमाता गायत्री was given by Bhagwaan Brahma to Sage yAgnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्य).

• 14th shloka of गायत्री कवचम् which is taken from वशिष्ठ संहिता, goes as follows..


• मुक्ता-विद्रुम-हेम-नील धवलच्छायैर्मुखस्त्रीक्षणै:।
muktA vidruma hEma nIla dhavalachhAyaiH mukhaistrlkShaNaiH.

• युक्तामिन्दुकला-निबद्धमुकुटां तत्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम्॥
yuktAmindukalA nibaddha makutAm tatvArtha varNAtmikam.

• गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुश कशां शुभ्रं कपालं गदाम्।
gAyatrIm vardAbhayANkusha kashAm shubhram kapAlam gadAm.

• शंखं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्ती भजै॥
shankham chakramathArvinda yugalam hastairvahantIm bhajE.

This shloka describes the form of वेदमाता गायत्री.

• It says, "She has five faces which shine with the colours of a Pearl 'मुक्ता', Coral 'विद्रुम', Gold 'हेम्', Sapphire 'नील्', & a Diamond 'धवलम्'.

• These five faces are symbolic of the five primordial elements called पञ्चमहाभूत:' which makes up the entire existence.

• These are the elements of SPACE, FIRE, WIND, EARTH & WATER.

• All these five faces shine with three eyes 'त्रिक्षणै:'.

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