legend

It can be truly said that Thiruvananthapuram (Tiru Anantha puram), the capital of Kerala owes its name with reference to the principal deity of the place, Sri.Padmanabhan familiar to million of Hindus by his posture of ‘Anantha Shayanam' (Eternal repose). The temple of Sri Padmanabha Swamy , one of the 108 shrines sacred to vaishnavas, is held in high veneration. There i a tradition that the God of the temple is believed to have been worshipped by Chandra and Indra. Nammalwar, who flourished in the 9th century, has sung eleven verses in praise of this place .Different versions are there for the origin of the temple which stands in an area formerly known as ‘Ananthakadu'. One account has it that a Pulaya (backward class) woman was weeding a field when she heard the piercing cry of a baby. She found the infant and fed it. After she went back to her work, a five headed cobra is said to have removed the child to a hole in a tree and sheltered it from the sun with its hood. The news reached the then ruler, who ordered a temple to be constructed at that place.Pulaya (backward class) woman was weeding a field when she heard the piercing cry of a baby. She found the infant and fed it. After she went back to her work, a five headed cobra is said to have removed the child to a hole in a tree and sheltered it from the sun with its hood. The news reached the then ruler, who ordered a temple to be constructed at that place.
Another version traces the origin of the temple to the renowned sage. Vilvamangalam Swamiyar, who became annoyed with an invisible child, which was constantly disturbing his penance and meditation. He threw the child aside rudely but the child left the sage telling him that it could be again found only at Ananthankadu. The grief stricken Swamiyar went in search Ananthankadu, guided only by the tinkling of the bells of the waist-belt of the invisible child. When he reached Ananthankadu, a huge illuppa came down with a loud crash and Lord Vishnu appeared before reclining on Adishesha with His four arms, extending from Thiruvallam to Thiruppapur, a distance of about eight miles. The God then forgave the Swamiyar and assumed a smaller form. Later a temple was constructed at the place. Even today, a successor of the Swamy performs daily worship at the temple. A small idol made of a portion of the original idol carved from the iluppa tree is also kept in the temple. It is said that the coconut shall in which the Swamiyar offered rice oblation to the deity is now represented by a golden bowl of the same shape in which rice offering is made daily to Sri Padmanabha Swamy.