Set in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a shrine to Lord Vishnu as Anantha Padmanabhaswamy, reclining on the serpent Anantha. It is also known as Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
One of the most revered Vishnu temples in India and famed as the world's richest temple; darshan of the reclining Padmanabha is taken through three separate doors. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, and the traditional dynastic deity of the former Travancore royal family. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is dedicated to Vishnu in his reclining Anantha Padmanabha form.
Kerala carries a distinct temple identity of its own: God's Own Country, where copper-roofed shrines and centuries-old rituals draw pilgrims to Vishnu, Krishna and Ayyappa.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 3:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Evening | 4:30 PM - 7:20 PM |
Per the temple's own official website (spst.in/Timing), darshan is offered in fixed slots: morning 3:30-4:45 AM, 6:30-7:00 AM, 8:30-10:00 AM, 10:30-11:15 AM and 11:45 AM-12:00 PM; evening 4:30-6:15 PM and 6:45-7:20 PM. This corrects a previously-cited first evening slot of 5:00-6:15 PM (actually 4:30-6:15 PM per the official site) and a 10:30-11:10 AM slot (actually 10:30-11:15 AM). Slots can still change locally/on festival days.
History and architecture
Architecture
The presiding deity is viewed through three doorways, the first revealing the face and hand, the middle the navel with the lotus, and the third the feet.
History
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is dedicated to Vishnu in his reclining Anantha Padmanabha form. It is widely known as the world's richest temple following the discovery of vast treasures in its vaults. It remains an active, strictly traditional place of worship.
Planning your visit
Darshan types and fees
| Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General Queue Darshan | Free | Within the fixed daily darshan slots |
| Suvarna Dashan | ₹20,000 | Max 6 devotees; includes 6:30 PM Deeparadhana Darshan and 7:20 PM Suvarna Darshan, booked via booking.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org |
| Udayastamana Pooja | ₹25,000 | Max 6 devotees; a full-day sponsored worship package, booked via booking.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org |
How to reach
Located in central Thiruvananthapuram, close to the city's main railway station and Trivandrum International Airport, with taxis, autos and buses readily available.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in photographs
5 freely-licensed photographs of this temple, from Wikimedia Commons. Each is credited to its photographer.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: High. The temple's own official website (spst.in, run by the Executive Officer's office) was located and fetched directly, and now confirms the exact darshan slot times (correcting two slightly wrong slot boundaries), a documented founding/reconstruction history, and the real priced offerings on the official booking portal, replacing an unverified 'special darshan ~Rs 500' claim. Dress code and entry-rules were not found stated on the official site itself and remain sourced from a first-hand visitor account (medium confidence for that portion only).