Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum, renowned for its serene calm beaches and popular temples, makes it an ideal pilgrim destination in south India. The city, that is also known as the land of Lord Vishnu or Sree Anantha padmanabhaswamy is the capital city of Kerala and is home to numerous historic and ancient Hindu temples. Some of the most visited and popular temples are given below:
- Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple – the temple holds the deity of Lord Vishnu, who is also the family deity of the southern Kerala’s early King. The temple and the deity hold immense religious significance among people of the south as well as the rest of the nation. The architecture of the temple is of a true Dravidian style temple with a 30 metre Gopuram (tower) and containing 365 pillars (representing 365 days in a year). Moreover, further details lay in the three doors of the temple. The first door showcases Lord Vishnu’s feet, while the second door shows the lotus in His hand and the third door has the face. Apart from all these architectural details, the temple is also the richest temple in the world.
- Attukal Bhagavathy temple – another popular temple in the state, this temple is one of the most sought after Goddess temple in South India. The temple is dedicated to the deity of Goddess Parvati Devi, who here is worshipped as the Goddess Kannaki. The temple is also famous for the Attukal Pongala festival that is celebrated during the months of February March. During this time thousand of women from around the world visit the temple and prepare ‘Pongala’ near the temple. The ritual is considered auspicious among Hindu women.
- Sreekanteswara Shiva Temple – this is a famous Lord Shiva temple in the city that is situated in the southern side of Padmanabha Swamy temple. Like the name suggests, the deity here is Lord Shiva in the form of a Shiva Lingam facing east. This again is one of the most popular Shiva temples in South India.
- Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple – this temple is situated in the heart of the Trivandrum city and has Lord Ganesha as the deity. Like the Sreekanteswara temple, this temple is also quite near to Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and it is one of the most popular Lord Ganesha temples in Kerala.
Apart from these holy places, there are several other places to visit in the capital city of Kerala. It is the Dravidian style of architecture that makes the temple and other historical artifacts in this region stand out from the rest of the country.