God’s Own Country is a land of culture, tradition and heritage. It is well reflected in the innumerable places of worship that adorn this State. However, one of these holy places of worship truly stands out not just for its historic and sacred richness, but for actually being the richest temple in the world. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in the heart of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, defines the destination in many ways. Thiruvananthapuram owes its name to the presiding deity of the temple, who is also known as Anantha. The word 'Thiruvananthapuram' means – the Land of Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy.
Acclaimed for its unique and Dravidian style architecture, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. One of the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple has a history that dates back to the 8th century. The idol of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple is acclaimed for its unique composition and has 12008 salagramams, which were brought from Nepal.
The sanctum sanctorum is located on a stone slab. The main idol is about 18 ft long and can be viewed through three different doors. In 2011, some of the subterranean vaults inside the temple were opened. A treasure worth billions of dollars that included gold thrones, crowns, coins, statues and ornaments, diamonds and other precious stones were discovered; an incident that made the temple the richest in the world.
