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Inside the Mithranandapuram temple complex itself, a path leads to the three main temples. At one end of the path is the temple dedicated to Brahmadeva. The Brahma deity is made of stone and has four hands and one head, rather than being catur-mukhya. A regular program of worship and puja is offered to Lord Brahma here. This Brahma temple is said to have been consecrated in order to ward off a Yakshi who was troubling people in the local area. In the early days, women were not allowed in this temple, but with some restrictions, they are now permitted to enter. Inside the Brahma Temple is a small Ganapati shrine, along with murtis of his consorts. Ganesh is worshipped here primarily with appam (a rice cake). Slightly in front of the Brahma Temple is the temple dedicated to Lord Visnu, which some consider to be dedicated to Lord Krsna. The Deity is in a standing posture and holds conch, chakra, mace and lotus flower in His four hands. While this paraphernalia is typical of Visnu, Ashtami Rohini (Janmastami) is celebrated in the temple. Inside there stands a Garuda murti, just outside the sanctum, which also indicates it is a Visnu temple. As with all three temples in this complex, there is a Ganapati shrine attached to the temple. At is believed by some that the sage Vilwamangalam has his samadhi at this Visnu/Krsna temple, and that the samadhi is located directly under the Deity. This fact is contested by Krsna devotees from north India, however, who believe the saint's samadhi is in Mathura. Others say the samadhi is in Kottakkakam, Kerala. Regardless, in front of the main Deity here, made of granite, is a small metal murti believed to be the deity that was worshipped by Vilwamangalam. The next temple on the path is the one dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the southwestern corner is a Ganapati temple. Shivrathri is celebrated here, along with regular chanting of Rudram. Next to the temple is a Naga-raja shrine, which is growing in popularity.
Trivandrum Other Temples in the Area Thiruvananthapuram, or Trivandrum as its more commonly called, is 55 kms. north of Kanyakumari, in the southwestern corner of Kerala. A very traditional and conservative city built on top of seven hills, Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala state. This ancient city dates back to 1000 B.C., and it served as the capital of the Raja of Travancore in 1750. The city's name, 'Thiru-anantha-puram', means the 'city of Anantha', the abode of Sesanaga on which Lord Vishnu rests. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple is the most easily recognized monument in the area, having a 100 foot, seven-tier gopuram. It is also the temple most visited by tourists. The nearly 2,000 year old structure stands by the side of a tank called Padma Theertham, meaning 'the lotus spring'. Devotees come here for sacred bath. The temple has a corridor with some 365 sculptured granite-stone pillars decorated with elaborate carvings. An eighty-foot tall flagstaff stands before the main entry of the corridor.
Temple architecture typical of Trivandrum Part 2 - Pushkar, Rajasthan Part 3 - Chinch & Asotra, Rajasthan Part 4 - Eklingji, Udaipur, Rajasthan) Part 5 - Vasantgarh, Rajasthan) Part 6 (Rajasthan: Bijoila, Mewar; Chandravati, Sirohi; Kiradu & Sevadi, Jodphur) Part 7 (Khokhan, Himachal Pradesh) Part 8 (Tihri-Uttarsal, Himachal Pradesh) Part 9 (Una, Himachal Pradesh) Part 10 (Dudhahi, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh) Part 11 (Gaya, Bihar) Part 12 (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh) Part 13 (Alampur, Andhra Pradesh) Part 14 (Kaleshwar, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh) Part 15 (Sampradaya Acarya - Lingampally, Andhra Pradesh) Part 16 (Manthani, Andhra Pradesh) Part 17 (Gurramguda Village, Andhra Pradesh) Part 18 (Tirusulam, Tamil Nadu) Part 19 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 20 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 21 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 22 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 23 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 24 (Syncretistic Forms of Lord Brahma) Part 25 (Thirupachur, Tamil Nadu) Part 26 (Pancheshti/Pancheti, Tamil Nadu) Part 27 (Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu) Part 28 (Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 29 (Mandagappattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 30 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 31 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 32 (Thirumukkoodal, Tamil Nadu) Part 33 (Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu) Part 34 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 35 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 36 (Thiruvengadu, Tamil Nadu) Part 37 (Thiruvelliyankudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 38 (Kuthanoor, Tamil Nadu) Part 39 (Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 40 (Kulithalai, Tamil Nadu) Part 41 (Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu) Part 42 (Thirupattur, Tamil Nadu) Part 43 (Pullamangai, Tamil Nadu) Part 44 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 45 (Sri Rangam, Tamil Nadu) Part 46 (Tanjore, Tamil Nadu) Part 47 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 48 (Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) Part 49 (Darasuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 50 (Thirukkannapuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 51 (Malayadipatti, Tamil Nadu) Part 52 (Thiruvadi, Tamil Nadu) Part 53 (Thirukandiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 54 (Thiruparangundram, Tamil Nadu) Part 55 (Kodumudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 56 (Thottiyam, Tamil Nadu) Part 57 (Nallur, Tamil Nadu) Part 58 (Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu) Part 59 (Purusha Sukta - The Hymn of Creation) Part 60 (Kottakkal, Kerala) Part 61 (Thirunavaya, Kerala) Part 62 (Triprayar, Kerala) Part 63 (Kodakkal, Kerala)
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