The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in the city of statues, Thiruvananthapuram. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The name Thiruvananthapuram means The City of Anantha in reference to the deity of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. This temple is an indigenous fusion of Kerala and Dravidian architectural styles. It is one of the 108 sacred temples of Vishnu called Divya Desams in Vaishnavism. Divya Desams are the holiest abodes of Lord Vishnu mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvar. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Sree Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the royal family of Travancore. In 1750, Marthanda Varma dedicated the kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha. Marthanda Varma swore that the royal family would rule the state on behalf of the Lord and that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa or Servant of Lord Padmanabha. Since then the name of every king of Travancore was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa. The donation of Travancore kingdom to Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thripadidanam. In line with the Marthandavarma Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are allowed to enter the temple and devotees must strictly follow the dress code. Men must wear mundu or dhoti (worn around the waist and down to the heels) and must not wear shirts of any kind. Women must wear sari, mundum neriyathum (set-mundu), skirt and blouse or half sari. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its properties were controlled by the Ettara Yogam (King's Council of Eight) with the assistance of Ettuveetil Pillamar ("Lords of the Eight Houses"). The main deity Vishnu is idolized in the posture "Anantha Shayanam", the eternal yogic sleep on the serpent Anandhan (Adhisheshan). The snake has five inward-facing hoods. The right hand of the Lord is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi-Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and Bhudevi the goddess of earth, two consorts of Vishnu are by her side. Brahma emerges on a lotus emanating from the navel of the Lord. The deity is made up of 12,008 saligramams. The Padmanabha deity is covered with 'Katusarkara yogam', a special Ayurvedic concoction, which forms a plaster that keeps the deity clean. The platforms in front of the vimanam and where the deity rests, are both carved from a single massive stone and hence called "Ottakkal-mandapam". The Divinity is visible through three doors: through the first door you can see the face of the reclining Lord and the Shiva Linga under his hand; Sridevi and Bhrigu Muni at Katusarkara, Brahma sitting on a lotus emanating from the navel of the Lord, hence the name "Padmanabha", golden abhisheka moorthi of Lord Padmanabha, Sridevi and Bhudevi, and silver utsava moorthi of Padmanabha across the second door; the feet of the Lord and Bhudevi and Markandeya Muni to Katusarkara through the third gate. The idols of two goddesses holding chamaram, Garuda, Narada, Tumburu, the divine forms of the six weapons of Lord Vishnu, Surya, Chandra, Saptarshi (Seven Sages), Madhu and Kaitabha are also there in the Sanctum. Inside the Temple there are two other important shrines, Thekkedom and Thiruvambadi, for the Ugra Deities Narasimha and Krishna Swami respectively. On the days of Ekadasi the Lord is dressed and decorated as Mohini. There are also shrines for Rama accompanied by ita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, Vishwaksena (Vishnu's Nirmalyadhari and remover of obstacles), Vyasa, Ganapati, Sasta and Kshetrapala (guardian of the temple). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom EssayThe great idols of Garuda and Hanuman stand with folded hands in the area of ​​Valiya Balikkal. Thevara idols of Chithira Thirunal.