Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

The shrine is run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore.[1] The temple is one of 108 Divya Desams (Holy Abodes of Vishnu) principal centres of worship of the deity in Vaishnavism. Lord Balarama, according to Srimad Bhagavatam (10.79.18), visited Phalgunam (now known as Thiruvananthapuram) as part of his teerthyatra, took bath in Panchapsaras (Padmatirtham) and made a gift of ten thousand cows to holy men. The temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Tamil Alvar saints (6th9th centuries CE), with structural additions to it made throughout the 16th century CE, when its ornate Gopuram was constructed.[2][3] The Temple is a replica of the famous Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple at Thiruvattar.[2] Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave its name to Keralas state capital Thiruvananthapuram. Thiru Anantha Puram means Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha. The city was also known as Anandapuram (City of Bliss) and Syananduram (Where Bliss is not far off). Ananda refers to Sree Padmanabha Himself. Hindu scriptures refer to the Supreme Being as 'Sachidananda' (Absolute Truth, Absolute Consciousness and Absolute Bliss).[citation
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The Principal Deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is enshrined in the "Anantha-sayanam" posture (in the eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on theserpent Anantha).[4] The Maharajah of Travancore bears the title, "Sree Padmanabhadasa (Servant of Lord Padmanabha). In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple. Devotees have to strictly follow the dress code he 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 (Thiruvananthapuram).[14] 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 C.E.). On 17 January 1750 C.E., 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: "That no deviation whatsoever should be made in regard to the dedication of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy and that all future territorial acquisitions should be made over to the Devaswom."