Inside Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple complex there are a number of shrines.

Sri Krishna Temple:
Sri Krishna temple is situated in the northern side and it is believed that this is the place where Bilvamangal Thakura disappeared from this world. This temple has a flag staff made of silver.

Hanuman Deity:
There is a huge Deity of Hanuman near the golden flag staff of Lord Padmanabha. The body of Hanuman is covered with butter. This butter will not melt even in hot days or even in the presence of fire and will not attract ants and insects. In the seventeenth century, as mentioned above, when there occurred a massive fire in the temple, the butter was not affected. It is mentioned that the fire could not go beyond this point. Also, there are huge Deities of Jaya and Vijaya, the two kshetrapalas (protectors) are located near Hanumanji. It is believed that the foot of one kshetrapala is growing day by day. This is evident from the protruding of the leg beyond the wooden fencing.

Lord Nrsimhadeva Temple:
Before entering the main altar of Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy, we also are blessed with the darshan of beautiful form of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Kulashekhara Alvar mandapam:
As we come outside of the main altar of Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy, we see a small mandapam dedicated to Kulashekhara Alvar. This is the place where King Kulasekhara composed many of his divine songs including famous Mukunda-mala-stotra. It is a marvellous and fantastic architectural work on stone. It is also known as Aayiramkaal Mandapam and Sapthaswara Mandapam. It is supported by 28 balustrades of pillars. The pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when tapped. The pillars are adorned with exquisitely carved figures in half and full relief. It is called as Dashavatar Mandapam due to depictions of dashavatara on the mandapa pillars.

Ottakkal mandapam:
The Ottakkal mandapam is single stone platform in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is a striking feature. The Mandapam is in front of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Sri Padmanabhaswamy. This structure is built with a single slab of granite which is two and a half feet thick and twenty feet square. The Abhishekams to Lord Sri Padmanabhaswamy are performed in this mandapam. Its granite pillars are covered with gold.

Abhisravana mandapam:
This structure is in front of the Ottakkal mandapam but outside the Cherruchuttu containing the sanctum sanctorum. Special poojas related with temple festivals are performed here. Devotees use this mandapam for meditation and prayers.

The Golden flag-staff (Dwaja Stambham):
An eighty feet high pole near the eastern corridor was installed by Anizham Tirunal. A teak wood of this dimension was carried from the nearby forest to the temple. As per shastras, the wood should not touch the ground while in transport. The teak pole was then covered completely with gold foils. The apex of the flag pole has a figure of Garuda Swamy, in kneeling posture.

Nine Entrances:
The temple has nine entrances, indicating the nine orifices of the human body.

Gopuram:
The temple has a 100 foot, seven-tier gopuram on the eastern entrance. On top, there are seven golden domes suggesting pointers to the seven Worlds. The 10 incarnations of Lord Sri Krishna are portrayed inside the first storey of the gopuram. . The ground floor under the gopuram is known as the ‘Nataka Sala’ where the famous temple art, Kathakali is staged in the night during the ten-day uthsavam conducted twice a year, during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam. The other three entrances are double storied Padippuras in typical Kerala Style. Entry to the upper levels of the gopuram is restricted.

The Sreebalippura (Corridor):
The temple has a marvelous Sreebalippura. This magnificent rectangular corridor built of stone surrounds the main shrines and it is through this corridor that the Vahanams are taken out during Sreebali (procession). Records say that daily 4000 stone artisans, 6000 labourers and 100 elephants worked for a period of six months to finish the construction of the Sreebalippura. Sreebalippura is supported by 365 and a one quarter of pillars. Each pillar is a monolith. The master artisan AnanthaPadmanabha Moothassari was in charge of the work.

Theerthams (Sacred water resources):
The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham. Padma theertham is one of the oldest water bodies in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The temple has a large number of sacred water resources situated even in places far away from the temple.

Bells:
Large numbers of bells adorn the temple. In most cases, the tip of the bell has a metal banyan leaf attached to its tongue.

Mural paintings:
The outer walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy and Lord Sri Krishna are adorned with murals. Of these, the Anantha sayanam on the backside of the sanctum is termed as the largest one among the temple murals of Kerala, and was painted by a brahmin artist by name Chalayil Kalahasti. It is of 18 feet long.

Multiplicity of Mandapams:
Another feature of this temple is the multiplicity of Mandapams (platforms). There are 11 mandapams in the temple and 8 in the Padma theertham pond.

Ananta Padmanabha Swamy temple,Thiruvanantapuram. Lakshadeepam literally translates as one lakh (one hundred thousand) lamps. The entire temple is adorned with one lakh (one hundred thousand) oil lamps in and around temple. The maiden Lakshadeepam was celebrated on the first of Makaram 925 ME / 14th or 15th of January 1750 AD. The festival was conducted with much pomp and fanfare, in the grandest manner possible by King Marthanda Varma. This mega festival is observed on the concluding day of Murajapam. Murajapam is a holy prayer offered to the Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy once in 6 years which comprises chanting of 3 Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda) and Vishnu Sahasranamam for a period of 56 days which ends on the day of Makara Sankranti in the month of January. Laksha Deepam festival is celebrated on the day of Makara Sankranti. On this auspicious day, the entire temple is adorned with one lakh (one hundred thousand) oil lamps in and around temple. This festival still continues as an immensely grand festival and visual magnitude attracting staggering numbers to the doors of this great temple.

Laksha Deepam festival at Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple

Paraphernalia used in the service of Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy

Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Maha-Prasadam

The original Deity made of Iluppa wood was replaced with a new one in the year 1729 AD because a mystical fire in the temple damaged the original Deity. The new Deity (as per the revelation in the priest’s dream) is made up of 12,008 Saligrams. They are special because they are from Nepal, from the banks of river Gandhaki and they were brought to the temple with all pomp and gaiety on elephant top. On top of them “katu sharkara yogam“, a special ayurvedic mix, was used to give a plaster. The consecration was conducted by Tanthri (chief priest) Tarananallur Padmanabharu Parameswararu in year 1739. Given the huge size of Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy, one is able to have the full darshan of the Lord from three different openings- Head from the southern side, the body from middle door and the legs from a third entrance. The Eighteen feet long Deity of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy is covered with gold and invaluable precious stones and the Anantha is covered with silver plates. Since the Deity was made of Katu Sharkara Yogam, no abhishekham is carried out on this 18 feet long deity. Hence the thick smoke from camphor, lamps and agarbathis over the centuries gave a black color to the Deity. The temple faces east and surrounded by massive fort walls. The area covered by its enclosures is about 7 acres. The temple has a seven-tier gopuram.

Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Trivandrum

East Gopuram at Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple

Sacred Padma Theertha Kula

Utsava Deities – Lord Nrsimhadeva Swamy and Lord Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy after coming from Shankumuka Beach during Aarat Festival

According to the Brahmanda Purana the story of this temple is revealed. In Karnataka there was a sage named Divakar. Every day he worshiped the Supreme Lord. One day his beloved Lord disguised Himself as a very beautiful boy. He attracted the heart of Divakar like no one else. Every day that little boy came and Divakar’s love was growing. One day this little child told him “I have no father, mother and no place of residence. I am just all alone wandering.” Divakar said to the small child “I will take care of you, stay with me”. The child said “I will stay with you if you promise me that you will never chastise me for anything I do. If you chastise me I will leave.” Divakar said, “I promise that I will never chastise you.”

This boy was very naughty. But Divakar was in ecstasy by seeing the naughtiness due to his love for him. But the child really tested him. One day Divakar was doing worship and he was alarmed to see that his ‘saligram sila’ was missing. He was searching and he found that the little boy was sucking the saligram. Divakar immediately chastised Him. The child told Divakar that since he has violated his promise, He will now leave.

Saying those words,the child ran away and Divakar ran after him. As the boy was running, His waist bells and ankle bells were tinkling. Divakar’s heart was charmed; he could not live without the child. The child told him, “If you ever want to see me again you should look for me in the Ananta forest.” Then the child disappeared.

Divakar was searching everywhere; he spent rest of his life looking for this Ananta forest. He had never heard of such a place. He was walking and asking everyone. He came all the way down to southern part of Kerala, which is today Thiruvananthapuram. He came to a village where a very simple tribal woman was chastising her son, “You are so naughty. Next time if you do this, I am going to throw you into the Ananta forest.” When Divakar heard that he became very enlivened. He was a saint, a sannyasi and he approached this lady and said, “I will give you all blessings but please tell me where is this Ananta forest?” Tribal lady told him how to get there.

The forest was very dark, Divakar had a single wick. He went into the forest searching for the child. Suddenly he heard the tinkling of the waist bells and the ankle bells. He went into ecstasy and started looking from where that sound was coming. Suddenly an Ilupa tree fell to the ground with a massive crash and from the tree, radiant effulgence blinded Divakar. When the effulgence flashed by, he saw the deity of Ananta Padmanabha was manifested from the tree.

The deity was very huge with head in one village, His feet were in another village and His waist was in the Ananta forest. According to the records, he was approximately 18 km long. Divakar took unripe mango and then he grabbed a coconut shell and made a little plate and put the salty mango in the coconut shell and offered it with love and devotion. Divakar requested the Lord to reduce in size so that he could worship Him and serve Him. Lord immediately accepted his prayers and reduced Himself in size. Divakar had a stick and the Lord reduced to three times the length of that stick. Till this day, naivedyam or offering prepared from rice is offered to the Deity here in a coconut shell.