Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Padmanabhaswamy Temple is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Check the exact timings on the official website before your visit.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

The Temple has been referred to in (the only recorded) Sangam period literature several times including in the Cilappatikaram. Many conventional historians and scholars believe that one of the names that the Temple had, "The Golden Temple", was in cognisance of the Temple's extreme wealth by that point (early Sangam period). Many extant pieces of Tamil Sangam literature and poetry as well as later works of the 9th century of Tamil poet–saints like Nammalwar eulogise the temple as heaven and both the temple and the city as having walls and streets of pure gold.

The temple is one of the 108 principal Divya Desams ("Holy Abodes") in Vaishnavism according to existing Tamil hymns from the seventh and eighth centuries C.E and is glorified in the Divya Prabandha. The Divya Prabandha extols this shrine as being among the 13 Divya Desams in Malai Nadu (corresponding to present-day Keralam with Kanyakumari district). Nammalwar sang the glories of Padmanabha.

Mukilan, a Muslim marauder, temporarily invaded parts of Venad in 1680 AD and destroyed Budhapuram Bhaktadasa Perumal Temple which was owned by Neythasseri Potti. Mukilan intended to plunder Padmanabhaswamy Temple and destroy it, but he was dissuaded from doing so by local Muslims loyal to the royals of Venad, soon after which he was killed in the Battle of Manacaud.

Legend & Significance

The Temple is referred to as 'Syanandoorapura' in the Puranas and Hindu Epics. Several extant Hindu texts including the Vishnu Purana, Brahma Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Vayu Purana, Bhagavata Purana and Mahabharata mention the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

It is believed that Parashurama "purified and venerated" the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy in the Dvapara Yuga. As per the legend, Parashurama entrusted 'Kshethra Karyam' (administration of the Temple) to seven Potti families – Koopakkara Potti, Vanchiyoor Athiyara Potti, Kollur Athiyara Potti, Muttavila Potti, Karuva Potti, Neythasseri Potti and Sreekaryathu Potti. Then King Adithya Vikrama of Vanchi (Venad) was directed by Parashurama to do 'Paripalanam' (Protection) of the Temple. Parashurama is said to have given the 'Tantram' of the Temple to Tharananallur Namboothiripad. This legend is narrated in detail in the Kerala Mahathmyam which forms part of the Brahmanda Purana.