Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
History In earlier years[when?] Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its properties were controlled by eight powerful Nair feudal lords known as Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses), under the guidance of the Council of Eight and a Half. In a battle of succession in the 18th century, King Anizham Thirunal Valiya Marthanda Varma, the ruler traditionally regarded as the founder of Travancore, successfully suppressed the Ettuveetil Pillais and his cousins following the discovery of conspiracies the Lords were involved in against the Royal House of Travancore. The last major renovation of the Padmanabhaswamy temple was also done by Marthanda Varma. On January 3, 1750, Anizham Thirunal "surrendered" the kingdom of Travancore to Padmanabha, the deity at the temple, and pledged that he and his descendants would "serve" the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa.[4] Since then, the name of every Travancore King was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa, while the female members of the Royal family were called Padmanabha Sevinis. The donation of the Kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thripadidanam and afterwards the Maharaja was known as Sree Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Varma Kulashekara Kireetapati. By surrendering the kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the whole Travancore state became the property of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. The temple The history of the temple dates back to the 8th Century CE, when Thiruvananthapuram was ruled by the Chera Dynasty. The Divya Prabandha canon of literature by the Alvars glorifies this shrine as one of 11 Divya Desams in Kerala. It is said that there are references to this temple in four puranas; namely Brahma, Vayu, Varaha, Padma. The 8th century Alvar poet Nammalvar created four slokas and one phalasruthi about this temple. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands at a place considered one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras; texts including the Puranas, particularly the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana, have references to this shrine.
Entrance of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple The two annual festivals of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple culminate in a grand procession, in which the three deities (Padmanabha, Narasimha and Krishna) are carried on flower-deck and aesthetically decorated Garuda Vahanas to Shankumugham Beach, for "arattu" (sacramental ablution). The arattu days are declared as local public holidays in Thiruvanathapuram. This temple is located inside the Fort in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram is also called Syanandoorapuram. The main deity, Padmanabhaswamy is a form of Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yognidra). This is an ancient temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram(The Revered Endless City) derives its name from the name of the presiding deity enshrined in the temple. Texts including the Puranas like Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Varaha Purana and Brahmanda Purana have references for this shrine. In Padma Purana there is reference to the temple of Anantasayanam, where the Lord Vishnu is having his yoganidra. It is also mentioned with Mathura, Venkatadri etc., as one of the well-known Vishnu Temples. In the Skandapurana, Sethu Mahatmya, Brahmakhanda Chapter-52, verses 102 to 105, some of the most important places of pilgrimages are indicated, which includes Padmanabha. There is also mention in the Bhagavata purana (canto 10 chapter 79) that Balarama visited "Syanandoorapuram" in the course of his pilgrimage. An entire chapter named Anantapura Mahatmyam in Brahmanda Purana, is dedicated to this temple. It is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. It has been identified as one of seven 'Mukti Sthalas' in the 'Syanandoora Purana Samuchayam' and as one of the six seats of Narayana by Chaitanya Maha Prabhu of modern times. Tradition states that in this place, Lord Vishnu gave darshan to sages like Divakarmuni and Vilwamangalam Swamiyar. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the most famous Lord Vishnu Temples in Kerala, South India. Also known as Sree Ananda Padmanabhaswamy Temple, this Mahavishnu Temple is located inside East Fort, in Thiruvananthapuram - the capital city of Kerala, India. Lord Vishnu is enshrined here in the Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yognidra), lying on Sri Anantha, the hooded snake. According to traditions, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram is believed to have been worshipped by Chandra (Moon God) and Lord Indra (the head of the Devas).
Guruvayur Utsavam or Guruvayoor Annual Festival is held for ten days. It begins on the day of Punartham Nakshatra (Pushya star - the 8th asterism) in the month of Kumbham (February March) and ends after the Guruvayoorappan Aarattu on the 10th day. Other important festivals celebrated here are Mandalam, Poonthanam Day festival, 11 days Chembai Sangeetha Mela (Chembai Music Festival), Narayaneeyam Day, Vaishka (April - May), Ashtami Rohini (July - August) and Kuchelas Day (held on the first Wednesday of Malayalam month of Dhanu (December - January).
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Triprayar Ekadashi Ekadashi falling in the month of Vrischikam (November - December), known as Thriprayar Ekadasi, is of special importance here. The idol of Shasta is taken in procession on the preceding day (on Dasami day) of Ekadashi and on the Triprayar Ekadashi festival day, the procession of Rama is carried out, accompanied by 21 elephants and royal possessions. In 2010, Triprayar Ekadasi Festival is on 2nd December 2010. . Arattu This is a twelve-day festival, held during the month of Vrishchikam. Highlight of the Triprayar Arattu festival is the performance of Angya Kootu, a local theater form. Episodes from epic Ramayana are enacted in the play.
On the Ashtami night, Thidampu, a symbolic idol of the Lord Siva is taken out in procession and kept in the Anakkottil (elephant shed). The deities from nearby temples are also taken in procession to the Anakkottil. After this, a ceremony called Kanikkiduka (offering of presents) is performed which is unique to this temple. Classical music and dance performances including Kathakali performances on the eighth and ninth days are the major attractions. The festival concludes with an Arattu (holy bath) at Udayanapuram which is the abode of Lord Subramanya. In 2010, Vaikam Ashtami Festival is on 29th November 2010 and Arattu Festival is on 30th November 2010.
Temple Festivals
Vadakkumnathan Temple is famous for the Thrissur Pooram Festival celebrated annually in the Malayalam month of Medam (April May). One of the most colourful temple festivals of Kerala, Thrissur Pooram is a majestic event which combines the imposing elephant pomp with the furious playing of drums and cymbals. The fireworks at the occasion are fabulous sight.
Sri Visalakshi Sametha Sri Viswanatha Swamy Temple, popularly called as Kalpathy Temple, is located in the Kalpathy village of Palakkad District in Kerala. Locally called as Kundukovil and Dakshina Kashi, the temple enshrines the deities of Lord Shiva who is worshipped as Lord Viswanathaswamy and his consort, Goddess Parvati, who is worshipped as Visalakshi. Kalpathy Temple is situated by the banks of the Kalpathy River (Nila Nadhi), a tributary of Bharathapuzha, and surrounded by the four Tamil Brahmin agraharams or traditional villages, namely, New Kalpathy, Old Kalpathy, Chathapuram and Govindarajapuram. The presiding deity, Lord Viswanathaswami is surrounded by a Kshnaiga lingam. The idol of Lord Subramanya is flanked by his consorts, Valli and Devayani, and Kalabairava. On the right side of the inner prakara is the Kanaka Sabhai where you can see the bronze idol of Lord Nataraja. Another interesting feature of this Dakshina Kashi Temple is that the idols of Sri Viswanathaswamy and Sri Visalakshi are attached to the pedestals by Ashtabandhanam which is a mixture of eight elements. These help fix the idol to the peetham or base. The Viswanathaswamy idol is a Bana Lingam which extends four carpenters angul (inch) higher than the pedestal, while the idol of Vishalakshi is placed twenty four inches above the pedestal up to the top of the crown.
Sreekanteswaram Temple Festivals Thiruvathira Mahotsavam - The annual festival of Sreekanteswaram is the Thiruvathira Mahotsavam is held during the Malayalam month of Dhanu (March April). This ten day festival starts with the hoisting of the temple flag called Thirukkodiyettu. The 9th day of the festival is the Pallivetta (royal hunt). Adryadarshan is on the 10th day morning. Magnificent processions and special rituals are held on all the ten Thiruvathira Mahotsavam festival days. Maha Shivarathri Festival - Shivaratri Festival is another major festival celebrated at Sreekanteswaram Temple in a grand scale in the Malayalam month of Kumbham. During the Shivrathri festival, devotees circumambulate the temple 108 times chanting the mantras and stotras of Shiva. The deity is carried out in procession on the silver Rishabhavahana at 3 am. This procession is conducted only on the 5th day of temple festival and during Shivaratri.
Lokanarkavu Temple Festivals Two annual festivals are celebrated here during the Malayalam months of Vrischikam (November December) and Meenam (March - April). Lokanarkavu Utsavam This main festival of the temple, which lasts for 41 days, is held during the Malayalam month of Vrischikam (mid November to mid December). It is locally known as Mandalavilakku Festival or Mandala Utsavam. The unique feature of the festival is that it is only here a folk dance called Thacholikali is performed during the temple festival. Thacholikali is similar to the traditional martial art form called Kalarippayattu. Large numbers of people from various places flock here to see this festival. Another attraction is that all the lamps on the walls of the Lokanarkavu Bhaghawathi Temple are lit on the occasion. Meenam Festival Meenam Festival at Lokanarkavu Temple is celebrated for eight days with Kodiyettam (flag hoisting) on the Rohini day and the Arattu (holy bath) on the Pooram day. The traditional dance performance of Theyyambadi Kurup is the special attraction on the fifth and the sixth days. On the seventh day is the Nadu Valam Vekka and Pallivetta (holy hunt). On the Pooram day is the Poorappattu and Poorakkali (a traditional dance ritual performed by men). Poorakali, conducted during night, is a fascinating event. Poorappattu includes theme from the life history of the Goddess. The idol of the goddess is taken for Arattu on the Pooram day.
day is the Kalasabhishekam. On the twelfth day, children, women and men hold Kavadi (semi-circular wooden frames decorated with flowers and feather). This is called Ammachi Kavadi. Kalamezhuthu and Nirapara are other major festivals celebraed at Chakkulathukavu Temple. Thrikkarthika Thrikkarthika falls in the Malayalam Vrischika masam and this is an auspicious day of the temple. Special rituals such as Divyabhishekam, Pongala, kindling the Karthika Pillar, Lakhshadeepam and Athazhapooja are performed.
Veda and Sama Veda. Lord Poornathrayeesa is the family deity of the erstwhile Kochi dynasty. It is believed that childless couples are blessed with children on worshipping Sree Poornathrayeesan as the Lord is in the form of Lord Santhana Gopalakrishna.
festival, mainly confined to the women folk, reached Guinness Book of World Records, when 1.5 million women offered Pongala in 23rd February 1997. Attukal Pongala Festival 2011 is on 19th February 2011, Saturday.
form a set known as Nalambalam (Four Temples), of which each temple dedicated to the 4 brothers Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The Koodalmanikyam Temple sanctum sanctorum is round shaped and is covered with copper plates. There is a six-foot Thaazhikakudam at the pinnacle which adds beauty to the temple structure. The lord here is Chathurbahu Vishnu with Conch, Chakra, Gada and Japamaala. However, it is believed that the Lord is Bharatha, the brother of Lord Rama. According to myths, Bharatha was anxiously waiting for the return of Rama from exile for fourteen years. He heard from Hanuman that Rama has reached Ayodhya and was much relieved and happy. Bharatha is worshipped in his happiest mood here. Lord Hanuman is seen at Thidappilly (the holy kitchen). Temple Festivals Koodalmanikyam Temple is renowned for the annual Kudalmanikyam Arattu Festival held for 11 days in the Malayalam month of Edavam (April May). This famous event starts one day after the Thrissur Pooram and ends on the next Thiruvonam day. The festival attracts a number of devotees to watch the color, music, Orchestra and Fine Arts which cannot be seen anywhere in Kerala. Another major festival celebrated is the Thriputhari on the Thiruvonam nakshatram in the Malayalam month of Thulam (October-November). The newly harvested rice is first cooked and offered to deity and then distributed to devotees. Next day is a special offering called Mukkudi, an Ayurvedic mixture, a divine medicine for all diseases.
Other deities worshiped at Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapati Kovil are Lord Ayyappa, Goddess Durga, Nagaraja, and Brahmarakshas. Devotees can see beautiful paintings of the 32 forms of Lord Ganesh inside the temple complex. Festivals Celebrated at Pazhavangadi Ganesh Temple Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi), Ganesh Jayanthi, Varad Chaturti, and Sankashti Chaturti are the main festivals in Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathy Temple. Special poojas (pujas) are performed for other Hindu festivals including Thiruvonam, Vijaya Dasami, Ayilyam, Sahasra Kalasam, Thirkkarththika, Thirvathira, Makara Vilakku, Maha Shivaratri, Vishu, Thriveda Laksharcchana, and Nira Puththari.
Festivals are conducted on Ekadashi during the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, and on the Pooyam star day during the month of Medam, which is the consecration day. Every year the Annual Festival falls on Guruvayoor Ekadasi day (Ekadasi in the month of Vrischikam) and it is celebrated with pomp and splendour. The Dasavatharam Chandanam Chartal (when the idol is anointed with Sandal paste and the shape of each Avathar of Vishnu viz. Matsya, Koorma, Varaha etc) during first to eleventh of Dhanu is very famous and thousands of devotees from far and wide come to Thottuva these days and offer their prayers. Every month (Thiruvonam), there used to be a feast (prasadam oottu) for the devotees. On that day Palpayasam (milk pudding) is offered by some devotees (with pregnancy problems) to conceive child.
Thrimadhuram and Brahminipattu. Click here to check the timings or visiting hours of Parvati shrine at the temple during festival occasion. Sree Krishna Jayanthi An 8-day festival is carried out during Sree Krishna Jayanthi, the birthday of Lord Krishna. Bhagava Sapthaham, the life story of Krishna, is recited during the festival. Other Hindu festivals such as Pradishta Divasam (day of deity installation) during the month of Midhuna (Punartham nakshatram), Mandala festival, Vishu Kani, Naaga Pradishta, and Navarathri are celebrated here.