Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

About Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple:

The Kerala Mahatmyam (an Upa Purana deriving its origin from the Bhoogola Purana) is in the form of a discourse between Yudhishthira and the Sage Garga. It stated that Parashurama after founding Kerala divided the land into 64 gramas, crowned Bhanu Vicrama at Sreevardhanapuram (Padmanabhapuram), and styled him the Kovil Adhikarikal, i.e., the manager of the pagoda of Sreevalumcode. In the first half of the 18th century, in line with matrilineal customs, King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, age 23, succeeded his uncle, King Rama Varma. He successfully suppressed the 700-year stranglehold of the Ettuveetil Pillais and his cousins following the discovery of conspiracies which the lords were involved in against the Royal House of Travancore. The last major renovation of the Padmanabhaswamy temple commenced immediately after Anizham Thirunal's accession to the musnud and the idol was reconsecrated in 906 M.E. (1731 AD). On 17 January 1750, Anizham Thirunal surrendered the kingdom of Travancore to Sree Padmanabha Swamy, the deity at the temple, and pledged that he and his descendants would be vassals or agents of the deity who would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa.[4] Since then, the name of every Travancore king was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa; the female members of the royal family were called Padmanabha Sevinis. The donation of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thrippadi-danam. The final wishes of Anizham Thirunal on his passing at the age of 53 clearly delineated the historical relationship between the Maharajah and the temple.