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Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, the richest Temple/Religious Centre in the World.

416K views 1K replies 120 participants last post by  Trivandrum 
#1 · (Edited)


Legend And History

The origin histories of the Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy, known to the most of the rest of India as “Ananthasayanam”, are lost in antiquity. It is not possible to determine with any exactitude, from any reliable historical documents or other sources that when and by whom the original idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was set up at this location. Some well known scholars, writers and historians, like the Late Dr. L.A.Ravi Varma of Travancore, have expressed the view that this Temple was established on the first day of Kali Yuga (which is over 5000 years ago). The story of the Temple are handed down through the centuries in the form of legends. One such legend which finds a place in the old palm leaf records of the Temple, as also in the famous grantha entitled “Ananthasayana Mahatmya”, mentions that it was set up by a Tulu Brahmin hermit named Divakaramuni on the 950th day of Kali Yuga.

The story as narrated in the Ananthasayana Mahatmya goes as follows.

Divakara muni wasa great Vishnu Bhaktha ans was at that time doing penance and in deep tapas in ‘Aatharta’ Desa. One day Maha Vishnu appeared before the sage in the form of a lively and beautiful 2-year old boy without revealing his real identity. The sanyasi wasvery much taken up with the charms of the child and because of the affection he involuntarily felt for him, he prevailed upon the god-child to stay with him. The child made one condition that the sanyasi should treat him with respect at all times and at any time he fails he fails to do so he (the child) would go away that very moment. This was accepted and so the child stays with him. The hermit gave him a great deal of loving care and tolerated the childish pranks of the little boy. One day, when the sanyasi was in deep meditation at his prayers, the chills took the ‘salagram’ which the sanyasi was using for worship and put it into his mouth and made such a nuisance of himself that Divakara Mini was greatly angered and could tolerate it no further. He thereupon chastised the child. In accordance with the earlier agreement, immediately the child ran away and disappeared from the spot. While going he said, “If you wish to see me again, you will find me again in Ananthankaadu”. It was only then that Divakara Muni realized who his erstwhile child guest had been. The hermit was stricken with inconsolable grief and for many days followed what, he believed was the route taken by the child foregoing food, rest and sleep in the process. Finally he reached a wooded area near the sea coast and then caught a glimpse of the Child disappearing into a huge ‘Ilappa’ tree standing nearby. Immediately that tree fell into the ground and it assumed that shape of recumbent Sree Maha Vishnu. That divine form had its head at ‘Thiruvallam’ (a place about 3 miles distant from the Fort, at where the Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy situates) and its feet at ‘Trippapur’ (5 miles away in the opposite direction). Overawed by the majesty and the size of the divine form, which thus manifested itself before him, the sanyasi prayed that the Lord condense himself in size so that it would become possible for him to contain the divine presentation within his limited field of vision. Thereupon the image of Bhagwan Vishnu shrank to a size, three times of the length of the sanyasy’s ‘Yoga dand’. Immensely gratified that his prayers had been granted, he made whatever offerings he could and conducted pooja to that wooden image. The lord havind been pleased ordained that from then onwards, poojas to Him at that place should be conducted by Tulu Brahmins from the same part of the country as Divakara Mini himself hailed. To this day half the number of ‘poojaris’ (priests) in this Temple continue to be drawn from the Tulu country.

Another generally accepted version about the origin of the Temple relates it to the famous sanyasi Vilvmangalathu Swamiyar, whose name is linked with the histories of several temples in Southern India. This swamiyar hailed from the Namboothiri Brahmin community and was a very dedicated Vishnu bhaktha. The legend that connects him with this Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy is in detail almost identical with the Divakara Muni tale related above. It is said that, when Sree Maha Vishnu presented himself in the “Ananthasayana” rupa (model) before the sage at Ananthankaadu, the latter had nothing worthwhile to offer him. From a mango tree standing nearby he plucked a few unripe fruits and put them into an empty coconut shell lying thereabout and in all humility offered it as ‘nivedyam’ to the Lord. Even today one of the pooja vessels in use in the temple for he offerings of nivedyams to the presiding deity consists of a gold encased half-coconut shell and one of the important items of nivedyam in vogue from time immemorial is unripe whole mangoes pickled in brine. It has also been the practice in the Temple during the past several centuries for the morning ‘pushpanjaly’ pooja is to be conducted by a Namboothiri Brahmin sanyasi (designated pushpanjaly Swamiyar) specially commissioned for this purpose.

These traditional customs coupled with the fact that the Pushpanjaly swamiyar holds a position of importance in the ‘Ettara Yogam’ (a committee which, at one time in the distant past, was the governing body of the Temple but has, over the years, become a ceremonial and advisory panel) lend substance and some measure of credence to the theory that this Temple was founded by Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar. On the other hand the claim of the Divakara Muni story can only be substantiated by the presence, among the accredited poojaris, of a large number of Tulu Brahmins.However, it is noteworthy that at no time did this community have a place in the ‘Ettara Yogam’. Besides being presented on the ‘Yogam’, the Namboothiri Brahmins also have a position of eminence in the rituals and ceremonies of the temple in that the Tantris(Main priests) have always been drawn from this community. It is also believed that the small Sree Krishna swamy temple, located near the
Western Swamiyar Madam (Official residence of one of the two pushpanjaly Swamiyars of the Temple) has been built over the Samadhi of Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar.

Some historians and researchists hold the view that the Thiruvambadi shrine of Sree Krishnaswamy, which is a separate temple located within the main temple walls, is older than the shrine of Sree Padmanabhaswamy. According to legend the shrines consecrated to Sree Narasimhaswamy and Sree Sastha, which are located inside the temple walls, were established at various times after the main shrine of Sree Padmanabhaswamy came into being. There is mention in the ‘Bhagavatha Purana’ (canto 10, chapter 79) that Sree Bala Rama visited “Spanandoorapuram” in the course of his pilgrimage and the belief is that this refers to the shrine of “Ananthasayanam” in “Thiru Ananthapuram”. Similarly in the ‘Brahmanda Purana’ also there is a reference to “Syanandoorapura”. All these lend considerable weight to the wide spread belief that this Temple is of great age and has been held in veneration over the centuries as an important shrine of Sree Maha Vishnu. The compositions of Nammalvar, the great Vaishnavite saint in praise of Sree Maha Vishnu, prove beyond doubt that this Temple existed in the fifth century of this era.Records indicate that from very early days the management of the Temple ws in the hands of a local committee called the ‘Ettara Yogam’ mentioned earlier. Old palm leaf records also show that the foundations for the first properly constructed Temple buildings were laid by the saint and ruler named Cheraman Perumal. He is also credited with having commissioned various persons to attend to the multifarious duties connected with the rituals, ceremonials and general administration of the Temple. Very many years later, about the year 1050A.D., the Temple was reconstructed and the management re-organized by the then ruler.

The next important recorded events relate to the period 1335 A.D. to 1384 A.D. when Travancore (as known then) was ruled by a powerful and wise king named Veera Marthanda Varma. He gradually established his authority completely over the management and administration of the Temple. There are records to indicate that in the year 1375 A.D. the Alpasi Utsavam (alpasi festival, one of the two important half yearly 10 days festivals which take place regularly even these days) was conducted in the Temple. Some of the important events relating to the Temple which took place after the demise of this Ruler until 1729 A.D. are given below.

  • Between 1459 A.D. and 1460 A.D. the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was removed to a ‘Balalaya’ for the purpose of re-construction of the roof of the sanctum sanctorum.
  • About the middle of 1461 A.D. after the reconstruction, the idol was re installed in the old location and an Ottakkal Mandapam (Single granite stone slab abutting from the sanctum sanctorum) was put up.
  • In 1566 A.D. the foundations was laid for the Gopuram (pagoda) over the main eastern entrance.
  • In 1686 A.D. there was a serious fire resulting in the total destruction of the entire temple building, structures and fittings with the exception of the main idol. Work on the re-construction of the Temple wasstarted only in 1724.
  • In 1728 A.D. propitiatory ceremonies, connected with the serious fire of 1686, were conducted.
It was in the year 1729 that the great ruler Marthanda Varma became the king of Travancore. He made plans for reconstructing the Temple and in 1729 put the work under way. In 1730 the idol was again moved to ‘balalaya’ preparatory to the renovation and reconstruction of the sanctum sanctorum. In the end of the next year the work completed. The old wooden idol was replaced with a new one fashioned out of 12000 ‘salagrams’ moulded into shape with a particular kind of mortar made of ‘kadusharkara’. This is the idol which is even today worshipped and seen in the sanctum sanctorum and to which all poojas are offered. The Mandapam in front of the idol was re-built with one single slab of granite which is two and a half feet thick and twenty feet square.
It was during this Ruler’s time that most of what is seen today within the walls of the temple was constructed. It is on record that daily 4000 stone artisans, 6000 labourers and 100 elephants worked for a period of 6 months to finish the construction of the sreebalippura (corridor). This magnificent rectangular corridor built of stone surrounds the main shrines and is meant for providing protection from the weather for the deities when taken out in ritualistic processions. The ‘Gopuram’ for which foundations had been laid in 1566, was built in this period. Similarly the ‘flag-staff’ in front of the main shrine was also erected at this time. The special Teak log was brought from the forest 30 miles away by men and elephants without touching the ground, as laid down in the sastras. The Teak pole was then covered completely with gold sheets. The renovation of the Temple tank, the Padmatheertham, including the stone flagging of the steps and its completion in the form we see it today was also undertaken during this great ruler’s time.

Deities

  • Sree Ananthapadmanabhaswamy
  • Agrashaala Ganapathi
  • Sree Yoga Narasimha Moorthi
  • Thiruvambadi Sreekrishnaswamy
  • Sreesastha (Sree Aathibhootha Nathan)
  • Kshethra Paalan
  • Agrashaala Ganapathi
  • Hanuman
  • Garuda
  • Sreerama with Seetha & Lekshmana
  • Vishwaksenan
  • Sree Veea Vyasar & Ashwathama

Attractions

Ottakkal Mandapam

The Ottakkal mandapam in the Sreepadmanabha swamy temple is a striking feature. The Mandapam is in front of the idol of Sreepadmanabhaswamy. This structure is built with one single slab of granite which is two and a half feet thick and twenty feet square. The abhishekams to Sreepadmanabhaswamy are performed in this mandapam. The pillars in this mandapam are covered with gold sheets.

Abhisheka Mandapam

This structure is in front of the Ottakkal Mandapam. This is the mandapam where the special poojas related with the temple festival and other special occasions are performed and the items for the poojas are get redied. Devotees can also use this mandapam for meditation and prayer.

Kulasekhara Mandapam

It is a marvelous and fantastic architectural work which is only on stone. It is also known as Aayiramkal Mandapam and Sapthaswara Mandapam. It is noted with its pillars which produces musical sounds when tapped. Inside this there are 28 big pillars around the mandapam. Of these on the pillars of the corner sides of the mandapam we can 11 pillars around itself. These small pillars can produce the musical notes and some musical instruments’ sounds when tapped. On the other pillars we can see some statues. On the top side of the walls the Ramayanam story is depicted. Also we can see a bell and chain in the middle of the mandapam which is made on stone. Restricted entry is allowed.

The Golden flag-staff (Dwaja Stambham)

An eighty feet height flag-staff stands in front of the main temple. The special Teak log was brought from the forest 30 miles away by men and elephants without touching the ground, as laid down in the sastras. The Teak pole was then covered completely with gold sheets. On the top of the flag-staff there is a statue of Garuda.

Gopuram

The temple has a seven storeyed gopuram. It situates on the main east entrance of the temple facing the east. It is a fine example of South Indian architecture. It has about 35 meters height. Standing on the top we can see the places around it. On the top of the gopuram we can see 7 domes of gold which is lined and glitter brightly in day light. The 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are displayed inside the first storey of the gopuram. Restricted entry is allowed.

The Sreebalippura (Corridor)

The temple has a sreebalippura. This magnificent rectangular corridor built of stone surrounds the main shrines and is meant for providing protection from the weather for the deities when taken out in ritualistic processions. It is a marvelous architecture on stones. It is on record that daily 4000 stone artisans, 6000 labourers and 100 elephants worked for a period of 6 months to finish the construction of the sreebalippura (corridor). Around the sreebaippura we can see 365 and a one quarter pillars with attractive carvings. Each pillars are made on a single stone.

Padma Theertham

The padmatheertham pond is located on the eastern side of the temple. This is the temple tank and is one of the oldest water bodies in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. Restricted entry is allowed for the devotees.

The Dravidian Style

Padmanabhaswamy temple is the only major specimen of the Dravidian style of architecture found in the State of Kerala.

Temple Architecture

Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is renowned for its sculptural beauty. With the ancient work of art in stone and bronze, the mural paintings and wood carvings, this ancient temple is a fine specimen of the Dravidian style of architecture. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands majestically beside the holy tank, named Padma Theertham (meaning the lotus spring). The tower at the entrance is a seven-storey and about 35 meter (100 foot) in height. Decked with beautiful stone carvings, this tower is constructed in South Indian architecture. There is an eighty-foot flag post (Dhwaja stambha) in front of the temple which is covered with gold plated copper sheets.

Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple has some interesting features such as the Bali Peeda Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam. These halls are decorated with beautiful sculptures of various Hindu deities. Another notable part is the Navagraha Mandapa whose ceiling displays the Navagrahas.

Broad Corridor with 365 and 1/4 Sculptured Granite Stone Pillars

Extending from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum is a broad corridor which has 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with beautiful carvings. The remarkable touch of the artisans is felt in a piece of carving which has the figure of an elephant on one side and that of a bull on the other. It is notable that the horns of the bull look like the tusks of the elephant when seen from the other side and the trunk of the elephant seems like the hump for the bull.

There is a ground floor under the gopuram (main entrance in the eastern side) which is known as the 'Nataka Sala'. Here the famous temple art of Kerala, the Kathakali, was staged in the night during the annual ten-day Padmanabhaswamy Temple Festival (Uthsavam), held during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam.

Temple Timings

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple opens daily at 03:30 AM and closes at 07:20 PM. However, there are specific timings for darshan.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Darshan Timings in Morning


03:30 AM to 04:45 AM
06:30 AM to 07:00 AM
8.30 AM to 10:00 AM
10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
11:45 AM to 12:00 PM

Evening Darshan Timings of Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple


05:00 PM to 06:15 PM
06:45 PM to 07:20 PM

Please note that the temple worship timings are subject to change during festival occasion.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Dress Code

Only Hindus are permitted inside the temple. And dress codes are to be strictly followed before entering the temple. Men should wear 'Mundu' or 'Dhoti' while visiting the temple. They also have to remove shirt or t-shirt above waist. Women have to wear Sari (Saree), Mundum Neriyathum (set-mundu), Skirt and Blouse, or Half Sari. This means no pants for men or churidhar for women is allowed inside the temple.

Dhotis are available for rent near temple locker room. Nowadays temple authorities allow to wear Dhotis over pants or churidhar for the convenience of devotees. The locker room near the temple main entrance offers Dhotis for rent. Cell Phones, Cameras, or any other Electronic Equipments are not allowed to be used inside the temple.

Pooja Details

Here are the details of Poojas that can be performed by devotees at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

General Archanas

Astothara Archana
Sahasranama Archana
Veeda Manthrarchana
Santhanagopala Archana
Vidhya Rahagopala Archana
Swayamvara Archana
Dhanwanthari Archana
Sudarshana Archana
Lekshminarayana Archana

Sooktam Archanas - Suktham

Purusha Sooktam
Bhoo Sooktha
Purusha Sooktam
Sree Sooktham
Bhaghya Sooktham
Aikyamathya Sooktham
Narayana Sooktham
Samvatha Sooktham

Abhishekams and Offerings

Aval (Sree Krishna Swamy)
Aravana
Panchamritham
Thrimadhuram
Unniyappam (Unni Appam)
Modakam (for Sree Ganapathi)
Paal Payasam
Ghee Payasama
Sharkara Payasam
Pongal
Ottayada
Idichu Pizhinja Payasam
Milk Abhishekam
Nei Vilakku
Vada Mala (Sree Hanuman Swamy)

Offerings

Here rice is offered to the Lord in coconut shell. Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer), Unni Appam and Aval with sugar are the other main offerings to Lord Padmanabhaswamy.
  • Muzhukkappu
  • Valiyalangaram
  • Panchamrutham
  • Ksheerabhishekam
  • Neivilakku
  • Aravana
  • Unniyappam
  • Pongal
  • Ponnum seeveli
  • Thulabharam

The idol of Lord Narasimha is offered with Panakam during Thursdays.

Aval Nivedyam is the main offering to Thiruvambadi Lord Krishna.

How to Reach

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple can easily be accessed by road being its ideal location near the City Bus Station in East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. The inter-state highway, National Highway 47 (NH 47) connects Thiruvananthapuram to all major cities and nearby states including Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station is the nearest railway station, just 1 km away from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station is one of the major railway stations in Kerala, managed by Southern Railways.

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, around 4 km from the city center, is the nearest airport.
 
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#113 ·
I have a question.

Does anyone know why there are TWO separate representation in SC, one from HH Uthradom Thirunal and another from HH Mulam Thirunal in the court? Is there a difference of opinion in the palace (which is unbelievable). What is the reason? Any idea/speculation?
 
#116 ·
Initialy sundar rajan filed petetion against Marthanda varma which is in charge of temple . Mulam thirunal joined the case after requesting with supreme court . He is representing travancore royal family as Uthradam thirunal representing Temple. Thing is he is the next avakashi so he want to be a part of it ..i think ..as now he cant join with temple authority formaly rt..
 
#115 ·
No.. Pazhavangadi temple dont follow the 'mundu only rule', but 'no shirt rule' is there. As custom, we go 'in mundu' to the temples.

I also strongly feel that the customs & traditions of the temple should be strictly followed. Lots of 'Rules' to be followed at Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, and you can see every one interestingly following such Rules inside the temple. Not to forget.. he is our King.
 
#118 ·
When I visited the temple a few decades ago, we had to wear mundu (not just wrap it over trousers), remove the shirt, and tie the 'anga vastram' (a towel, ie thorth) around the waist. It was not permitted to put the thorth on the shoulder, like one normally does. Is it the same these days?

Temples here in Ernakulam permits trousers, but no shirt. I have a strict freshly laundered (ie unused after washing) mundu and no shirt rule in any temple.
 
#120 · (Edited)
Supreme Court dissatisfied over temple security



Source : Kerala Kaumudi



Source : Malayala Manorama



Source : Metro Vaartha





NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its orders to consider the issues of videographing the huge inventory and providing foolproof security to the estimated Rs 1.50 lakh crore wealth taken out from the five vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram.

A Bench comprising Justice R V Raveendran and Justice A K Patnaik said that the huge wealth which was found inside the temple could be at a risk because of the huge publicity given about it through newspapers and TV channels.

The Bench perused the affidavit filed by the State Government and the other parties which gave their views on the issue, especially for the proper upkeep and maintenance of the temple.

The state government stated in its affidavit that the wealth found inside the temple belonged exclusively to the presiding deity Lord Padmanabhaswamy and nobody has any claim over it.

The Government averred that it has put in place a security mechanism with an Additional DirectorGeneral of Police to monitor the situation roundtheclock with a control room exclusively for monitoring the movements around and inside the temple. An amount of Rs 1 crore will be spent in this regard every month, the state government said. The erstwhile prince requested the Bench not to pass orders for public display of the treasure discovered from the five secret chambers of the shrine.

The chambers ought not to have been opened as this has resulted in unwarranted publicity and endangered the security of the temple. With the result, plans need to be drawn up for the foolproof security of the temple, the prince felt.

Moving the wealth of the Lord to a place outside the temple for its exhibition as directed by the High Court needs to be reconsidered, the state government felt.

However, the state clearly stated in its affidavit that neither the state nor any individual has any right whatsoever over the wealth and opposed the High Court's directive for the display of the wealth at a public place. The gold ornaments, precious stones, coins and other objects of high value found in the cellars of the temple belong to the temple. Nobody can lay claim over them, it added.

Source
 
#121 · (Edited)
'Opening vaults could invite deity’s wrath'



Source : Mathrubhumi



Source : Malayala Manorama

NEWDELHI: The scion of erstwhile Travancore royal family, Rama Varma, in an affidavit filed before the apex court felt that the opening of the chambers of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple could have invited the wrath of the presiding deity Sri Padmanabhaswamy.

He pleaded with a Bench comprising Justice R V Raveendran and Justice A K Patnaik, which was hearing the matter, not to pass any directives in this regard as the temple had inscribed on its walls an insignia of a serpent. This indicated that the presiding deity would be angered if anybody tinkered with the chambers or with the treasure. Instead of this, an appeasement ceremony should be held before opening the vault to mollify the God, the prince stated.

He further averred that the 'B' chamber should not be opened at all as the serpent is on the wall of this chamber and this indicates that it would not augur well for the people who open the chamber. Traditional 'Deva Prashnam' should be conducted to please the deity, he felt. This is necessary because it is the belief of the people that opening of the chambers could invite the wrath of the Lord. Opening of the chambers without conducting the 'Deva Prashnam' would be contrary to the ageold custom and practice of the temple, senior advocate K K Venugopal appearing for the prince pointed out.

Source
 
#125 ·
Temple security: State ready for more funds

Finance Minister K.M. Mani told the Assembly on Thursday that the State government was willing to make additional allocations for the security of the riches at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Replying to the general discussion on the revised Budget for the current year, the Minister said an allocation of Rs.1 crore had already been made in the Budget for security arrangements at the temple. Earmarking the amount, Mr. Mani had said in his Budget speech that it was the duty and responsibility of the State to provide comprehensive security for the temple treasure.

Source
 
#130 · (Edited)


Source : Kerala Kaumudi



Source : Malayala Manorama
  • More CCTVs will be installed at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
  • State Govt.is ready spend enough amount for the security arrangements in Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple,says Kerala Chief Minister



Source : Metro Vaartha
 
#134 ·
Urgent need to decode ‘Mathilakom’ secrets

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Almost three years back, when the digitisation of ‘mathilakom’ documents (related to Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple) was taken up by the Archives Department, no one sounded upbeat about it. Other than the Archives men and a couple of historians, it became nobody’s concern. But with the Lord turning out to be the owner of a treasure trove, the interest in ‘mathilakom’ documents has suddenly shot up. However, this time, the Archives Department is a bit low on enthusiasm considering the fact that its demand for transliterators is still pending before the State Government .

The ‘mathilakom’ documents are mostly ‘churunas’, scrolls of palm-leaf documents in bundles of loose leaves. They are written in an ancient language which is a mixture of the scripts such as ‘Vattezhuthu’, ‘Kolezhuthu’, ‘Malayanma’ and Malayalam. Deciphering them is like puzzle decoding, which only the brightest of minds trained in transliteration can achieve.

Historians like M G Sasibhooshan and K N Panickar point out that without transliteration, the possibility of the details pertaining to the vaults in the temple and their contents, contained in one of the ‘mathilakom’ documents, would never see light. More than 11,000 such ‘churunas’ are preserved in the Central Archives near Fort, and some 3,000 ‘churunas’ among them are ‘mathilakom’ documents.

The Archives Department had chosen seven students, who had passed from the University College, Kariavattom, in Linguistics, given them in-house training in transliteration and engaged them in the task of creating an index of the documents. Initially, the transliteration, translation and digitisation were moving hand-in-hand; later, with the first job turning out to be more cumbersome, the Department went ahead with the digitisation of the ‘churunas’. And transliteration fell into a slow pace. With the contract period of the students getting over some months back, the whole exercise has now come to a standstill.

"Earlier, there were expert transliterators who were devoted to the job full time. Until lately, they were called in for minor services to the Department. But then, we began picking up candidates from the PSC list. It has created a dearth of expert hands,’’ said Gopalakrishnan, Superintendent of Central Archives.

It is known that the Government is pondering over a solution. "The Government has shown a positive approach to the digitisation project and we hope to have transliterators very soon in our service so that we can resume the transliteration and complete the digitisation. Our long-term aim is to publish the documents online too,’’ said J Rejikumar, Director of Archives Department.

The renovation of the Central Archives, which was the erstwhile Travancore Central Prison, is also on the cards, though it has been on hold for several months now. Last year, the Department had planned its renovation using Tourism funds, but nothing materialised. Now that the office and its dark shelves seating the abundant history of a bygone era have gained global attention, it is up to the State Government to shed lethargy and help in the process of discovering the real history of Travancore.

Source
 
#139 ·
Tales that the fabulous collection in the vaults tell



(Travancore Coins from Beena Sarasan's Collection)

The antiquity of the priceless jewels and valuables found in the vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram in recent weeks can be assessed with the aid of the Mathilakam Records, and the stone inscriptions found on the eastern wall of the first prakara of the Kanyakumari temple. These records reveal that the precious articles are indeed offerings made to the temple over the centuries.

The earliest mention of an offering made to the Padmanabhaswamy temple is found in a 12th century inscription in the Kanyakumari temple (Travancore Archaeological Series, Volume 1, Page 49). It states that Parantaka Pandya “vanquished the Chera in battle” and levied a tribute from him. The king of the Kupakas (the Venad ruler) offered his daughter in marriage to Parantaka Pandya, who in turn set up 10 golden lamps to the God of the temple at Ananthasayanam (Thiruvananthapuram) and granted the village of Tayanallur towards their upkeep. This was not an isolated event. It was customary to make endowments and assign villages for their maintenance.

Thus, it is not surprising that over the centuries offerings made to the temple accumulated and reached fabulous proportions. Although most of the landed property was alienated, the fact that the gifted articles of immense value were guarded zealously over the centuries is a tribute to the honesty of the Venad/Travancore royal families and their traditional priests. It is also a testimony to their unflinching devotion to their deity.

Mathilakom Document No. CXXIV, Granthavari No.1, Ola No. 222, relating to 16th of Makaram, 861 Malayalam Era, or ME (AD 1686), describes a fire that consumed the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The temple was gutted and “gold, silver, copper, bronze, brass, iron, timber and stone burnt as one till the afternoon of the 17th.” However, the idol was saved, with minor damage. The text of this document is given as an Appendix to Volume 11 of the Travancore State Manual by T.K. Velu Pillai. The editor added the following important note: “The document continues with the details of the jewels of the deity which were kept locked in the ‘kallara' [vault]. This portion is left out.” It would appear that the contents of the vault were safe. This document in its entirety will throw light on the contents of the vault as of AD 1686. The editor wisely left out the details, apparently as a measure of security. This closely guarded secret is now practically in the open, posing a threat to the security of the contents.

Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, who ascended the throne in AD 1729, renovated the temple, which bore the scars of the fire of AD 1686. The details are provided by Princess Aswati Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi in her book, Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1995). Thus the present structure of the temple is the result of Marthanda Varma's efforts. By AD 1749, Marthanda Varma's territory had extended from Kanyakumari to the limits of Cochin.

On the 5th of Makaram ME 925 (AD 1750), Marthanda Varma made over his whole kingdom to Perumal Sree Padmanabhaswamy and assumed its management as a vassal of the deity. He and his successors assumed the role and title of Sree Padmanabhadasa. History bears testimony to the fact that they lived up to this self-imposed role.

The coins struck immediately thereafter bore the device of the deity. One such copper coin was reportedly found in the Netherlands recently by a mine-detector pilot along with other material from the 18th and 19th centuries. Considering that Eustachius D'Lannoy, the Dutch commandant in the Battle of Colachel (AD 1741) who was captured by Marthanda Varma later, rose to become the commander-in-chief of the Travancore Army, it is not surprising that a coin depicting Sree Padmanabha found its way to the Netherlands.

During successive reigns, gold coins minted in Travancore were appropriately named Anantha Varahan and Anantha rayan panam. This was a departure from the then current Rasi and the Kaliyan panam, which owed their origin to neighbouring kingdoms. The silver double chuckram minted in AD 1810 bears the legend ‘Padmanabhan' in old Malayalam script. These coins are mentioned in the Mathilakom Records as coins found in the vanchika of the temple. Nagamaiya, in the Travancore State Manual, gives the Anantha Varahan the value Rs. 3-15-5 (or three rupees, 15 annas, five pice), but does not describe it. Therefore, until recently there was no means to identify the Anantha Varahan that was minted in Padmanabhapuram and Alleppey. However, Barbara Mears stumbled upon a line drawing of this coin with an article (The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume LII, Calcutta, 1883, Pages 35-55) by Major Bidie, who was the Superintendent of the Madras Museum: he had obtained two of the coins from the maharaja's treasury. This helped identify the Anantha Varahan (Studies in South Indian Coins, Volume XXI, Barbara Mears, Pages 81-86; Beena Sarasan, Pages 87-90).

The Mathilakom Records in the Kerala State Central Archives, Churuna No.1308, Ola No. 410, dated ME 968-8-16, provides the interesting information that on the occasion of minting the Anantha Varahan for the first time in Alleppey, Dewan Chempakaraman Kesava Perumal sent some panam as offering (kaanikka) to Sree Padmanabha Perumal, the deity at the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The same document gives the names of others who made such offerings. This includes the ruler – Sri Padmanabhadasa Balarama Varma Kulasekharaperumal.

More details of donations in the form of coins are available in the Mathilakom Records. For example, Volume 60, Page 102, shows that on ME 952-9-9, the following coins were found in the vanchika: Kaliyan, Old Kaliyan, Kozhikode Panam, Rasi, Madurakali, Kanthirayan Panam, Gopali Chakram, and so on. Volume 8, Page 175 gives the list of coins counted on ME 952-11-9. Again, on ME 976-6-27, Velu Thampy Dalava, along with Thrippapur Mootha Tiruvadi, offered 11 Paranki varahan (Churuna 128, Ola 218). Thus, the treasures now found in the vaults are those offered to Sree Padmanabhaswamy and that accumulated over the centuries. The earliest recorded gift was that of Parantaka Pandya in AD 12th century.

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