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Ananthapadmanabhaswamy
Temple or Anantha
Lake
Temple is
a Hindu temple built
in
the
middle
of
a
lake
in
the
little
village
of
Ananthapura,
around
6 km
from
the
town
of Kumbla in Manjeswaram taluk
of Kasaragod
District of Kerala, South
India.
This
is
the
only
lake temple in
Kerala
and
is
believed
to
be
the
original
seat
(Moolasthanam)
of Ananthapadmanabha
Swami
(Padmanabhaswamy
temple) Thiruvananthapuram.
Legend
has
it
that
this
is
the
original
site
where Ananthapadmanabha settled
down.The
lake
in
which
the
Sanctum
Sanctorum
is
built
measures
about
2
acres
(302
feet
square).
An
interesting
spot
to
keep
in
mind
while
visiting
the
temple
is
a
cave
to
the
right
corner
of
the
lake.
According
to
the
local
legend,
the
deity
Anantha
Padmanabha
chose
to
go
all
the
way
to
Thiruvananthapuram
through
that
cave.
Hence
both
the
places
retain
similar
names,
in
spite
of
being
on
either
end
of
the
region.
The
current
priests
are Havyaka
Brahmins,
however
the tantri belongs Shivalli
Brahmin community.The
past
of
the
temple
is
still
obscure
except
for
some
myths.
It
was
at
this
place
where
Divakara
Muni
Vilwamangalam,
the
great
Tulu
Brahmin
sage,
did
penance
and
performed
poojas.
Legend
has
it
that
one
day
Lord Narayana appeared
before
him
as
a
child.
The
boy’s
face
was
glowing
with
radiance
and
this
overwhelmed
the
sage.
He
became
anxious
and
asked
who
he
was.
The
boy
replied
that
he
had
no
father
no
mother
and
none
at
home.
Vilwamangalam
felt
pity
for
the
boy
and
allowed
him
to
stay
there.
The
boy
proposed
a
condition
that
whenever
he
feels
humiliated
he
will
leave
the
place
at
once.
He
served
the
sage
for
sometime.
But
soon
his
juvenile
pranks
became
intolerable
for
the
sage
and
he
reacted
violently.
Humiliated
the
boy
disappeared
from
there
after
proclaiming
that
if
Vilwamangalam
wants
to
see
him
he
would
have
to
go
to
Ananthankat,
the
forest
of
serpent
god
Anantha.
Vilwamangalam
soon
realized
that
the
boy
was
none
but
the
lord
himself
and
he
had
great
repentance.
He
found
a
cave
at
the
place
where
the
boy
disappeared
and
he
proceeded
further
into
the
cave
in
search
of
the
boy.
He
reached
the
sea
and
proceeded
further
toward
the
south
and
at
last
he
reached
a
woody
area
near
the
sea.
Vilwamangalam
saw
the
child
who
soon
disappeared
into
huge
illippa
tree
(Indian
butter
tree
or
Mahua
tree).
Immediately
the
tree
fell
down
and
assumed
the
shape
of
Lord
Vishnu
lying
on
a
thousands
hooded
serpent.
The
temple
is
unique
in
its
structural
aspects
for
it
is
erected
in
the
middle
of
an
impressive
lake
of
302
feet.
The
lake
is
gifted
with
a
perennial
supply
of
pure
spring
water.
We
can
find
the
ruins
of
temples
all
round
the
lake
which
stand
testimony
to
the
fact
that
it
was
part
of
a
great
temple
complex.
The sreekovil (sanctum
sanctorum),
namaskara-mandapam,
thitappalli,
and
shrines
of
Jala-Durga
and
the
entrance
of
the
cave
are
located
in
the
lake.
The
namaskara
mandapam
is
connected
to
the
eastern
rock
by
a
foot-bridge
which
is
the
only
passage
to
the
sreekovil.
The
principal
deity
is
Lord
Vishnu.
One
of
the
key
features
of
the
temple
is
that
the
original
idols
in
the
sanctum
sanctorum
were
not
made
of
metal
or
stone,
but
of
a
rare
combination
of
more
than
70
medicinal
materials
called
`kadu-sharkara-yogam.'
These
idols
were
replaced
by panchaloha metals
in
1972.
They
were
donated
by
Kaanchi
Kaamakoti
Mathaadhipathi Jayendra
Saraswathi Thiruvatikal.
Efforts
are
going
on
now
to
reinstall
the
idols
made
with
`kadu-sharkara-yogam.'
The
Lord
Vishnu
idol
is
in
a
sitting
pose
over
a
five-hooded
serpent
king
Lord
Anantha.
The
lake
temple
is
open
to
all
visitors
regardless
of
caste
or
creed.
The
District
Tourism
Promotion
Council
has
plans
to
preserve
the
temple
and
its
surroundings
for
its
uniqueness.
The
temple
has
an
excellent
collection
of
wood
carvings
on
the
ceilings
of
the
mandapam.
These
carvings
depict
the
incidents
taken
from
the
stories
of Dashavatharam (the
ten
incarnations
of
Lord
Vishnu).
Some
of
them
are
painted.
The
Nava-grahas
(nine
planets)
are
painted
at
the
muktha-mandapam.
On
either
side
of
the
sreekovil,
dwaara-palakas
(Jays
and
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