- Deity
- Vishnu as Padmanabha (reclining)
- Location
- East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram
- Dress code
- Traditional Kerala dress; strictly enforced
- Nearest railway station
- Thiruvananthapuram Central
- Nearest airport
- Thiruvananthapuram International
About the temple
Padmanabhaswamy is counted among the 108 Divya Desams, the shrines praised by the Alvar poet-saints. The temple was closely tied to the Travancore royal family, who ruled as servants of the deity, and it was largely rebuilt in its present form under Marthanda Varma in the eighteenth century. The main image is so long that it is viewed through three doors: the head, the navel with the lotus, and the feet.
The temple's wealth became headline news in 2011, when a court-ordered inventory of several underground vaults listed gold, jewels and old coins of enormous value. The vaults are not open to visitors, but the story has made the temple famous far beyond Kerala.
What to see
- The seven-tiered eastern gopuram facing the Padma Theertham tank
- The long corridor with rows of carved granite pillars
- The reclining image of Vishnu in the sanctum
Dress code and rules
Entry is restricted to Hindus. There is a strict dress code: men wear a mundu or dhoti and go without a shirt, while women wear a saree, a long skirt with a blouse, or a mundu over their clothes. Dhotis can be rented near the gate. Queues are long on weekends and festival days, so arrive early in the morning for a calmer darshan. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside and must be left at the counters before you enter.
How to reach
The temple is in East Fort, within walking distance of the old fort gates and markets, and close to Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station and the central bus stand. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is only a few kilometres away.
Also nearby
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