HISTORICITY
Although the exact date of its construction is shrouded in mystery, the historical "evidence begins 1729 with Maharaja Marthandavarma's infinite munificence that almost drained the state exchequer in a year or two, as a matter of fact. His inimitable thirst for construction and renovation started even before his accession. Soon after his accession, he applied himself to the gigantic task of rebuilding most of the dilapidated portions. The construction of garbha griha along with making of the Lord's icon was given top priority. The image, using as many as 1200 salagrams, specially brought from a far moulded into a shape with a particular kind of mortar, made of special compounds and coated with a paste, prepared from molasses and mustard. It was indeed an ace architectural feat unique in conception, combination and construction. And a specimen of the exquisite piece of perfect craftsmanship! This superb huge icon adorned with garlands and dazzling silks with Brahma seated atop the lotus rising from the navel affords a royal banquet to the eyes and transports the viewers to Vaikunta Next, the imposing Ottakkal mantap lying just opposite the Moolavirat received his magnetic touch. This 20 feet square Mantap was built out of single gigantic granite slab. Another colourful feather to his cap! The main Eastern gopuram work, which was begun as back as in 1566 was taken up and completed upto the fifth storey. Another colossal feat was the building of Sribalipura, the awe-inspiring rectangular corridor encircling the main mandir for which the services 1000 masons, 6000 labourers and 100 elephants were utilised. And lo! this supreme specimen of artists superb craftsmanship was materialised in barely 7 months. The making of flagstaff is another superb feat that brought him undying fame, and left him as the pole star among the builders of Kerala temples.

THE TEMPLE
This architectural piece of superb craftsmanship, occupying a spacious 7-acre-land lies on an elevated part of the city and is visible to the visitors from miles afar. Surrounded by massive prakaras with a tall 100 feet high 7-storeyed tower of pyramidal shape, it faces the east, and has a flight of broad stone steps to reach the sannidhi. The elaborately and intricately sculptured pouranic figures adorning the tower are a treat to the connoisseurs and detain them for hours, whereas the asthikas bow to them seeing living gods in them. Crossing the portal, we enter the broad open oblong corridor, supported by 324 pillars, called the walk of the God's procession. The pillars and the ceiling are fittingly beautified with excellent sculptures. The grand 80-foot-high circular golden flagstaff lying at the end of this covered walk is adorned with the image of Garuda, the Lord's Vehicle. Kulasekhara Mantap bearing the exquisite sculptures lies to its south. Then comes the two-storied rectangular inner shrine richly ornamented with gables -the characteristic feature of the Kerala architecture. Its outer walls are beautified with mural painting, depicting many legendary tales. There are several minishrines dedicated to adorable gods and goddesses, like Krishna, Sastha, Siva, Narasimha, Vyasa, Kshetrapala, Rama, Lakshman, and Sita etc. Lord Ganesh's icon with its prominent potbelly, matching his diminutive stout limbs attracts everyone most. The sculptors' artistry in the making of Vishnu image with four hands and Lakshmi sitting under the canopy of tree peeps at beholders and bends heads in homage to the Lord and the makers too. For this and more, credit goes to the illustrious Maharaja Marthandavarma, whose devotion is second to none. To be true, history has not so far produced another specimen king of Kerala to stand beside or behind him. He is a unique gem of purest ray screne, dazzling among the royal patrons of art and architecture. The cause of his matchless passion for construction and faith in God, and love of fellowmen deserves reverent study.

MARTHANDA VARMA'S PATRONAGE

        He was, as name suggests a dauntless warrior of peerless military prowess. Soon after coronation, he launched a large-scale military campaign for territorial expansion, particularly against the impudent roaring local petty lions and annexed with grace and eases every territory, and left them as toothless wild cats. Expansion, as desired was materialised and his kingdom swelled upto Cochin. Soon after the digvijaya yatra, he embarked upon the Dharma Prachara yatra on a spectangular level like that of immortal Ashoka Mourya, and, in an exemplary manner at it. He construed and inferred, rightly too, that power, wealth, knowledge come to art individual as a reward, when he accepts to be a trustee of God's wealth and moreover the gifts of God find justification, leading to the culmination of reaping a bumper harvest of bliss. Illumined thus, he came to momentous decision of dedicating his whole kingdom to his family deity Sri Ananthapadmanabhaswamy. The unrest surfacing in certain quarters of the conquered kingdom, adding uneasiness to his perturbed conscience, the aftermath of the war, hastened him to the holy presence of the presiding deity to placing his sceptre and crown at the feet of the Lord as a symbol surrendering all his possessions and rights by kingdom. As a mark of total, unconditional surrender, he placed his sword on the steps of the sanctum sanctorum and declared that he would thenceforward act as the Lord's vassal, and be called Padmanabhadasa only. Hasn’t he proved himself the modern version of Bharat? And ordained that his successors too would act likewise. This verily perched him higher than Bharat to speak the truth. What a decision! How unique is his renunciation!! Has any nation followed that suit!!! Will future produce such another!!!! Doubtful! At once he made conch as the emblem of the state and used for badges and coins. This unparalleled decision was whole-heartedly accepted in the royal household,-and later it became a tradition and was accepted by the succeeding kings with mute submission. And some of the members of the royal family never took food until and unless worshipping the Lord at the shrine. So infinite and implicit was the faith that the princely members turned model princes to the millions of princes. That miraculous change in this out-looks manifested itself in several ways -he began the construction at work of the temple on such grand scale that it emerged soon as a marvellous shrine attracting global attention. To be precise, he glorified it, and it divinised him in turn. His humanism, and patronage of arts too are of unearthly in charter and content.

FESTIVALS
The temple celebrates two annual festivals on a grand scale in such an impressive way that the whole Vaishnavite community living all over India participates lustily, besides common folk in lakhs. Each is a 10-day festival -one falling in the month of Meenam, corresponding to. March -April, and the other in the month of Tula i.e. October month. Both begin with Kodiyatram -flag -hoisting ceremony and end with huge processions of deities, participated by lacks of people, including the Maharaja and his family members with a zeal infinite and pomp, unusual. During these festivals, the Veetta-hunting and arattu-immersing precession are of great significance. They are celebrated in accordance with sastric injunctions. Their symbolical meaning is deep and embodies universal truths -any spectacle becomes perfect and breathes life, if only the actors and spectators are brought together and participate with equal zeal. And by harmonious unification of the mover and the onlooker, the Spectacle reaches perfection - comes to a full circle. This art principle is achieved during these festivals, when the Maharaja taking the role of the protector kills the demon standing for evil. On the ninth day of the festival, a big make-believe setting for the mock-hunt, befitting the pageant is erected in front of the Sundaravilasam palace fort at Trivandrum, where the climax of the myth is enacted. The demon is shot at by the Maharaja with an arrow. The light and sound effects ably produced make the episode real and the spectators enjoy it to the maximum. The procession of the deities though reaches the temple at the end, the deities are not: be taken to their seats without the purificatory bath. Does not God, when descend to the sinful world get defiled? As the Utsavamurthis suffered pollution thus, they should be purified before resuming their original position. Hence the ceremonial bath on the tenth day. The purificatory ritual is performed to the images of Sri Padmanabha, Krishna and Narasimha at Sankhamukhan situated at the edge of the Arabian sea. This is another fascinating sight for the theists to enjoy the colourful spectacle of the procession of deities, escorted by the royal family, and lacs of bhaktas going along the 5 Km long road. These two though not come near the Dasara celebrations at Mysore in pomp and splendour; they exceed it in the observance of traditions. The priests attach supreme significance to every item of the rites observed from start to finish. They appear conservative in several of their practices, but seen through the eyes of traditional purists, they are justified. Modernity is totally banished from the precincts of the holy temple. The entire atmosphere starts ii breathing antiquity and orthodoxy from the very moment opening of, temple doors to the closing. Certainly, modernity feels irked at certain traditions like admission of males with dhoties and bare chest, yet the antiquity shirks not its rigidity, nor thinks of introducing any flexibility, even in the case of the highest ruling authority, if he visits for darsan. As nothing is hate-worthy in the general scheme of creation, respecting the traditions alone paves the way for harmonious kinship and exemplary bliss between the visitors and the authorities.
Endure it! And get emancipated!!

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