108 Divyadesam - 75) Tiruvananthapuram

Details of Kshethram:Moolavar:  Ananthapadhmanabha Swamy Thayaar: Sri Hari Lakshmi Thayaar Pushkarani: Matsya Theertham Vimanam: Hemakooda Vimanam Travel: This kshethram is located in the city of  Thiruvananthapuram.

Azhwar Pashuram: Namazhwar : 11 Pashurams Sthala Puranam:History: According to legend, there was once a Nambudhri Preist by the name of Bilwa Mangala Samiyar who used to perform to many . It is said that there was a young boy who accompanied the priest daily during his . The boy was very naughty but had told the priest not to question anything that he would do. One day the boy stole some of the  from the priest and started to run. The priest went in pursuit of the boy. As the chase continued, the boy ran into a dense forest known as Ananthavanam. As the priest ran after the boy a humungous  (Indian Butter Tree) fell in front of him. The height of the tree can be comprehended as follows. It is said that the Lord's rested in Tiruvattar, His  rested in Thiruvananthapuram and his rested in a place known as Tirupaapur. Similarly, another story says that Diwakara Maharishi chased a boy into the Ananthavanam, the tree fell and the Lord appeared in the tree. It is said that Diwakara Maharishi was holding a , and he asked the Lord to reduce his length to match the . Thus the Lord shrunk Himself to a length of 18 feet. As the Lord shrunk Himself from a humungous length to a more viewable length, He got the name Ananthapadhmanabhan. Anantha which means immeasurable and Padhmanabhan as Lord Brahma emanates from the divine lotus in His navel. Thus a temple was constructed and the Lord was present in a wooden form for many years. Even today one can get a sight of Bilwa Mangala Samiyar as well as Diwakara Maharishi inside the garbha-griha. Modern Day: In the year 1686, it is said that a massive fire outbroke in the temple. The then king Marthanda Varman is said to have reconstructed the temple over forty years and performed for the temple in the year 1726. It is said that the Lord appeared in the king's dream and told him that He wished to be converted into a  form. It is said that elephants carried 2400  on their heads from Nepal, and delivered them to the king. The Lord further instructed the king to use 1200  to constitute Him in the  form. The remaining were to be stored safely till they would be necessary to reconstruct the Lord once more. To this day that requirement has not arisen. In the year 1750, Marthanda Varman is said to have written down all his wealth in the name of the Lord and the temple and given his family the title of  which translates to those who serve Lord Padmanabha. To this day the Kings of the Travancore family visit the temple in early hours of the morning and pay their respects to the Lord. On the account of not being able to visit the temple on any given day, they pay a fine to the temple. There are two annual festivals during the Tamil months of Panguni and Aippasi. The significance of the three doors for viewing the Lord: Given the length of the Lord being eighteen feet, there are three doors through which one can view the Lord. In the first door, one can see the Lord's . This door is said to have been meant for the such as Garudan and Vishwaksenar. In the second door, one can see the Lord's  from which emanates the divine lotus, inside which is seated, Lord Brahma. This door is said to have been meant for the Devas. In the third door, one can see the Lord's . This door is said to be meant for all His devotees who seek his refuge as instructed by Him in the Gita where Lord Krishna says "Sarva Dharman Parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja". *** Other specialties in this temple include Anjaneya Swami who is always adorned in butter. There is a shrine hosting . To keep the Lord's anger under control, Valmiki Ramayana Parayanam is done daily in front of the shrine.