Padmanabhaswamy

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 Puranam. Another story, which is more recent and less regarded mythologically and legendarily, associates the Temple with the legendary sage Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar (also called Divakara Muni in some versions).

Vishnu, also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation (sattva). Though not prominently represented in the Vedas, Vishnu was possibly already a significant non-elite divine figure in early Vedic times. Vishnu rose to prominence in post-Vedic times, and was identified with various local traditions and deities, particularly the Bhāgavata-deities Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna and the Pāñcarātra-deity Narayana, in the last centuries BCE and the early centuries CE.

Read more about [Vishnu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu).

In the Garbhagriha, Padmanabha reclines on the serpent, Anantha or Adi Sesha. The serpent has five hoods facing inwards intended to signify contemplation. The deity's right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi-Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi, the Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu, are by his side. Brahma is depicted as emerging on a lotus which emanates from the navel of the deity. The deity is made from 12,008 saligramams. These saligrams are from the banks of the Gandaki River in Nepal, and to commemorate this, certain rituals used to be performed at the Pashupatinath Temple. The idol is covered with a special ayurvedic mix called "Katusarkara yogam". The platforms in front of the vimanam and where the deity rests are both carved out of a single massive stone and hence called "Ottakkal-mandapam". On the orders of Marthanda Varma (1706–58), the Ottakkal-mandapam was cut out of a rock at Tirumala (a village in Thiruvananthapuram District), about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the temple. It measured 20 square feet (1.9 m2; 190 dm2; 19,000 cm2) in area by 2.5 feet (30 in; 7.6 dm; 76 cm) thick and was placed in front of the deity in the month of Edavom 906 M.E. (1731 CE). At the same time, Marthanda Varma also brought 12,000 shaligrams, aniconic representations of Vishnu, from the Gandaki River, north of Varanasi.

Located in: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.