The curse behind the Naga Bandhana door of Chamber

Athira Gopal

The curse behind the Naga Bandhana door of Chamber

The controversies surrounding the richest religious site in the world is that behind the locked chamber is imperial death waiting for the whole land, the Arabian sea will engulf the land, cobras will appear and kill everyone in their path, and so on or all this is just a coverup to protect something beyond our wildest dreams.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple; Image source: Pinterest

The origin behind the Padmanabhaswamy Temple is still unknown, there are mentions of the Moorthy in Tamil songs of Nammalvar of the 9th century, also in the epic Silappadikaram written during the Sangam Age in the 2nd century. The local legend believes that the temple was established due to Saint Vilwamangalam Swamiyar.

Swamiyar was in a habit of meditating every day, a small child used to come by to disturb his meditation. One day Swamiyar caught the kid by his arm and before he could open his eyes, the child revealed that he was Lord Vishnu in disguise. Lord Vishnu told him that if he wanted to see the real form he had to follow him to Anantha Kadu. Swamiyar had never heard about this forest and hence followed the sound of the child’s jewels. On the way, he met a mother who was threatening to leave her child in the Anatha kadu if he didn’t behave. Swamiyar asked the mother for directions to the forest. He reached a huge Mhua tree when it suddenly broke in half and in its place stood Lord Vishnu. His form was so gigantic that it stretched from Thiruvallam to Thiruappapur. Swamiyar requested the lord to reduce his size so that he could circumference and place offerings to the Lord. Lord Vishnu obliged swami's request but his form was still very huge and covered by the trees that the Swamiyar saw him as three parts.

The then Maharaja built the temple where the lord is said to have appeared. It was King Marthanda Varma who renovated the temple during his rule. Initially, a small temple, Marthanda Varma changed the architecture to its now present glory. It is unique in its synthesis of Tamil Dravidian Architecture and the local Chera style.

The Moorthy in itself is unique. Sri Padmanabha lies down on the serpent Anantha, also known as Adi Sesha. The serpent bears five inward-facing hoods, which represent contemplation. A Shiva lingam is held in the Lord's right hand. Two of Vishnu's consorts, Sridevi, the Goddess of Prosperity, and Bhoomi Devi, the Goddess of Earth, are by his side. Brahma appears on a lotus that arises from the Lord's navel. 12,000 saligrams ( a variety of stones collected from riverbeds or banks of the Kali Gandaki) were used to create the god. These saligrams were found on the banks of the Gandaki River in Nepal, and rites were done at the Pashupatinath Temple to honour them. Sri Padmanabha's deity is covered in Katu Sarkara yogam, an ayurvedic concoction that forms a plaster to keep the deity clean.

A seven-member team was established by the Supreme Court of India to conduct an inventory of the temple underground vaults, which resulted in the enumeration of a massive collection of artefacts that had previously been held under lock and key. The temple's assets, which included money, gems, and other treasures, were meticulously inventoried. A three-and-a-half-foot tall gold idol of Mahavishnu filled with rubies and emeralds, as well as ceremonial apparel for adorning the deity in the shape of 16-part gold weighing about 30 kilogrammes and gold coconut shells, one set with rubies and emeralds, were discovered.

The jewels are supposed to have been placed in the temple by the Maharajas of Travancore hundreds of years ago. While some historians believe that the kings received a large portion of the stored wealth in the form of taxes, gifts, as well as the conquered wealth of states and offerings stocked in the temple for safekeeping, others believe that the kings received a large portion of the stored wealth in the form of taxes, gifts, and conquered wealth of states and offerings stocked in the temple for safekeeping.

The team was unable to open chamber B due to technical difficulties. The rust in the locks prevented them from opening the chamber that day. The royal family issued an injunction against the opening of Chamber B, which is still in effect today.

But the rumours that floated around said it was because they were scared of the two cobras guarding the door. Death to anyone who dare enter and that people with knowledge to break the mantra that sealed the lock was no more.

Among all these rumours Padmanabhaswamy temple remains with its treasures and mysteries. The temple is one of the most heavily guarded locations on the planet, with metal detectors, security cameras, and guards even though the temple is open to the public for worship. Looking forward to the wonders that will be revealed next!

The right hand of the Lord Bharatakkon Kallara (Chamber B) is the most closely affiliated with Sri Padmanabhaswamy of the Temple's six kallaras or chambers. It isn't included in the Temple's Treasury. The sacred Chamber has a Srichakram, a Sri Padmanabha deity, and numerous treasures intended to increase the Principal Deity's potency. It is inhabited by many gods and sages who worship the Lord.

Kanjirottu Yakshi, who worships Lord Narasimha, also lives in the Chamber. The Yakshi's enchanting and terrifying forms are painted on the main Sanctum's southwest wall.

There are further shrines dedicated to Sree Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Vishwaksena, Vyasa, Ganapati, Sasta, and Kshetrapala, the temple's two guards. In the Valiya balikkal region, huge idols of Garuda and Hanuman stand with folded hands.

The biggest festivals are the Alpashy festival, which takes place in October/November, and the Painkuni festival, which takes place in March/April, both lasting ten days. Laksha deepam, which means a hundred thousand lamps, is the temple's most important event. This festival is one-of-a-kind and only happens every six years.