Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)


Trivandrum’s spiritual heart is this 18th-century temple (closed to non-Hindus) in the Fort area, which fuses Keralan and Dravidian architecture and whose origins go back to at least the 8th century. The main entrance is through the 30m-tall, seven-tier eastern gopuram (gateway tower), in Tamil Nadu style. In the inner sanctum, Padmanabha (a manifestation of Vishnu) reclines on the sacred serpent and is made from over 10,000 saligrams (sacred stones) purportedly transported from Nepal by elephant.

A treasure stash with an estimated value of US$1 trillion was unearthed in a series of previously locked vaults beneath the temple in 2011, making it India's richest temple. The path around to the right of the eastern gate offers good views of the gopuram.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) attractions

1. Puthe Maliga Palace Museum

0.1 MILES

Overlooking the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple tank, the opulent 18th-century palace of the Travancore maharajas is a classically Keralan world of…

3. Secretariat

1.05 MILES

The brilliantly white neoclassical Secretariat building was founded in 1939.

4. St Joseph's Cathedral

1.55 MILES

One of Trivandrum's major churches, the Roman Catholic St Joseph's is a whitewashed neo-Gothic creation from 1873, topped by a soaring bell tower added in…

5. Christ Church

1.67 MILES

Towards the north end of MG Rd stands this fine neo-Gothic Anglican church, notable for its stained glass and 19th-century tombs.

6. State Central Library

1.68 MILES

A red-brick neo-Gothic construction, built in 1900 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

7. Museum of History & Heritage

1.86 MILES

Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…

8. Mateer Memorial Church

1.88 MILES

A graceful landmark church, 450m west of Trivandrum's Zoological Gardens, dating from 1906.

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      "country": "India",
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