Sometimes it’s okay to travel just to see the beauty of the other cultures and Padmanabhaswamy Temple in India is one of the richest temples in the entire world. It’s a sight to see for every tourist.
Located in Thiruvananthapuram, it has been dated as far back as around 500 B.C. Other historical texts have described the Temple as being “made of gold.’
Overall, however, the origins of the temple remain a mystery that has been hard to uncover. It is most notably famous for its underground vaults, each containing a massive amount of gold and jewels. Only five of those vaults have been opened and explored as of right now, adding even more mystery to the temple.
Other than the vaults, the temple also has many other notable features. There are nine entrances to the temple, which relate to the nine orifices of the human body. This includes murals, sacred sources of water, grand corridors, shrines, and other architectural wonders.
There are multiple shrines for many of the deities worshiped at the temple. Some of these are Sree Padmanabhaswamy, Vishwaksenan, Sree Yoga Narasimha Moorthi, and Thiruvambadi Sreekrishnaswamy. While these names might not be familiar to you, seeing the shrines in person are a wonder to behold. They are beautiful works of artwork in their own right, and serve as a piece of history and religious importance within the Temple.
There are festivals and ceremonies that take place in the Temple on various days to celebrate the importance of these deities. These are ceremonies and festivals that have been celebrated for centuries and have a large religious connection to the culture.
If you go to visit the shrine when these festivals are taking place, you can see some of the culture right before your eyes. If you do decide to visit, however, you have to make sure you follow the customs and regulations required of the Temple. For one, you cannot enter if you are a practicing Hindu. You must bathe and put on clean clothes before entering, and those clothes must be the proper attire. Photography is prohibited inside the Temple as well as holding any type of electronic equipment. You also cannot smoke or spit inside the Temple. There are many other regulations and customs required to enter the Temple that are required as well. Make sure that you learn them before you go.
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