My Journey to the baffling Padmanabhaswamy Temple, in Kerala, India

Padmanabhaswamy temple is situated in Kerala, the southern state of India. This temple is one of the most important temples in the world and in fact one of the wealthiest temples. This temple is better known for its prehistoric significance for its temple architecture, carvings, the mystic deity of Lord Vishnu lying in the sleeping pose on the serpent God "Ananta", and the huge treasures kept in secret in the underground vaults marked from A to F. The temple was created during the reign of the King  Anizham Thirunal who belonged to the Travancore royal family. From then onwards, the temple and its entire assets belong to the Travancore royal family, whose descendants still exist.
 

On 2011, the Supreme Court of India ordered the authorities to unlock the hidden vaults marked as A to F. However, vault B is not yet opened due to the belief that opening of vault B might be a curse. Vault A was perhaps opened much earlier, while vault C to F have been instructed by the court to open periodically. Now, what the authorities have found from the vaults A to F (ommiting B), will blow your mind. According to the reports, they have found some billions of treasures from the hidden vaults like a 3.5 feet golden idol of Lord Vishnu, pure gold chain, diamonds, and lots of precious stones, etc. Accorinding to the reports, vault B has a iron door with the image of a cobra snake inscribed on it, but this vault is not yet opened. So, I have given enough brief on Padmanabhaswamy temple and now I will be going to discuss my entire experience of visiting this mystic temple (Padmanabhaswamy temple).

On 3rd April 2023, I started my journey to Padmanabhaswamy temple which is located in Kerala state of India. I started my journey along with my family from Kanyakumari hotel at morning 9 am approximately via cab. We booked a cab (SUV) for Rs. 3000 and it took approximately 2:30 hours to reach Padmanabhaswamy temple as there were some traffics. Once we reached the spot, we were completely surprised to see the temple premises and its surroundings. Believe me, I have never seen such a high security zone for a temple. There were policemen, CRPF, and other armed forces who were strictly checking each and every person entering the temple premises. But before that, I like to mention you the rituals and rules that you have to follow in order to enter the temple premises. When we got off from the cab, we were asked to buy white dhoti from the temple authorities. It does not matter whether you are a male or female, but you have to follow the dress code before entering the temple. Male are required to wear white dhoti while women needs to wear saree or salwar. However, if any woman comes wearing jeans, she has to buy the respective attire from the temple authority counter. Even if you are carrying a child whose age may be 1.6-2 years, he/she has to be dressed with small dhoti. I will say that my son was 1.8 years old when he visited the temple. It cost 20 rupees for the dhoti for my son and 80 rupees each for dhoti. There are changing rooms where you can change the dresses.

So, finally, when we were just going to enter the temple premises, we were again surprised to see the policemen, who were inside the temple premises, wearing dhoti. As we entered the temple, we were stunned to see the temple architecture, pillars, which seemed to be thousands of years old. Inside the temple premises, you will find a small counter selling a "kheer" (payasam), inside a small container, that costs Rs. 100/- (INR), with a delicious taste of pure ghee. Since my father is unable to walk, the temple authorities arranged wheel chair for my father. So, without wasting any time, I stood in the queue, where thousands of devotees have gathered in queue, to have the glimpse of the mystic deity of Lord Vishnu lying in the sleeping pose on the serpent God "Ananta". People from various parts of the country gather here every day to view the legendiary deity of Lord Vishnu. The deity is worshipped everyday with flowers and you will be given "prasad" or flowers when you will have entered the garbagriha. There are many other dieties that are worshipped other than Lord Vishnu and they are namely Lord Narasingha, Lord Krishna, and Lord Rama. It is also heard that the main deity of Lord Vishnu is made of Katusarkara Yogam, which is a combination of herbs and resins, that keeps the idol clean.

So, lastly, another important point is that, I want to say is that, it is one of the most important temples in India which must be visited by once in a lifetime. So, if you are planning to visis South India, do not miss to visit this temple (Padmanabhaswamy temple). Another important information that I want to share is that, according to the sources, non-hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. So, if you are a non-hindu, you should gather proper information before thinking of visiting this temple, as the temple authorities are very strict in their rules and rituals.

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