The divinity of Ananthapura Lake temple

 

As per temple scriptures, the origin of a temple is based on a dedication to one among the countless deities in the Hindu religion but it is not quite common to find a temple whose reverence is based on another temple. One such temple which has been a place of divinity for over 7 centuries is the Ananthapadmanabha temple in Kasaragod, commonly known as the Ananthapura lake temple. The story of the temple is based on the existence of the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum which is one of the divya desams as per Hindu beliefs. 

The temple is considered to be the moolasthanam (original seat) of Padmanabhaswami & the relation between the two places is based on the life story of Vilwamangalam Swami who is considered to have lived for over 4 generations. As per legends, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar was a revered sage & was living around the temple conducting prayers to Lord Narayana. It so happened that one day he noticed a child roam around his hermitage, on enquiring he learnt that the boy was an orphan & so allowed him to stay with him. The child said that he would stay with the sage on one condition that he should never be scolded. The sage smiled & allowed the boy to play around his hut. In days the child grew mischievous but Swamiyar ignored it as child’s play but one day the boy while playing kicked the salagrama of Swamiyar while he was meditating. Swamiyar out of rage pushed the child & as he was about to raise his voice, the child vanished. A voice told Swamiyar if he wished to see the child again, reach a place called Ananthankadu. The sage realised that he was in company of a divine being & out of repentance followed the boy into a cave which was where the child vanished. In search of Ananthankadu, he reached Thiruvananthapuram where he saw the child disappear again into an illuppu tree. Swamiyar realising that the child was none other than Vishnu, requested his Lord to appear before him to forgive his devotee. The tree fell & formed the most majestic idol of Padmanabhaswamy where Lord Vishnu is seen reclining on the divine serpent anantha. It is believed that Vilwamangalam Swamiyar consecrated the temple for Padmanabhaswami & stayed back in Thiruvananthapuram to never return to Kasaragod. It was only in the 14th century that the Ananthapura temple was built by the family members of Swamiyar, the Tulu Brahmins. The Ananthapura temple is thus named Ananthapadmanabha temple.

The uniqueness of the temple does not just stem from its story but also its existence. All Hindu temples have a pond next to it but the Ananthapura temple is the only one which stands inside a pond. The thought behind such an arrangement is the fact that the temple is considered to be Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu where He is depicted as resting on the serpent King Anantha in the ocean of milk representing the phenomenon of endless time & energy. Within the sanctum one can also find the consorts of Lord Vishnu, Bhoomidevi & Sreedevi representing completeness of all the three worlds. The idol of Vishnu in the temple is made using a rare combination called Katu-sarkara-yogam just like how the idol of Padmanabhaswamy is in Trivandrum. The combination is made with 108 materials & no use of metal or stone . The idol of Lord Vishnu at the temple was later in the 20th century replaced with a panchaloha idol donated by the most revered Kanchi kamakoti Jayendra Saraswati. The idol is today reinstalled with the old Katu-sarkara-yogam idol which was moved out of the sanctum to strengthen the form. The temple also has shrines for other sub - Gods like Ganapati which is made in Krishna Shila while the idol of Jala Durga is in made in marble. 

The temple architecture is what it is famous for and it is quite important to know that the earlier temple design was not how we see it today. Today the central sanctum or Sreekovil is in the middle of the pond while the edifice & the Gopuram are connected by a small bridge for devotees to pray. The earlier structure was much bigger and possibly had a complex which had the sanctum in the centre. The pond which one sees is a large water body of perennial springs which has never dried up. The temple is also a place where one can see the cave where the idol of Lord Sree Krishna is placed, considered to be the same idol which was used by Swamiyar to pray. It was always a myth that the cave at the temple has a secret passage till Thiruvananthapuram but today its closed & a Gopuram is constructed. The temple is also a place where one can find some of the most intricate temple carvings of the Tulu craftsmen who have depicted the story of Dasavatharam on the walls. The temple is also adorned with beautiful murals, many from the 17th century & it celebrates the artistic prowess of the Tulu painters. The temple architecture is based on the simple design which was the way in the 14th century with copper tiled roofs & laterite stone floors.

The temple apart from the reverence to Lord Vishnu is known around the world for the presence of another being, babiya – the crocodile. The temple pond in which the temple stands has a 70 year old crocodile which is considered to be vegetarian living only on the naivedyam (rice offering) of the temple. It is quite uncommon to find a crocodile which does not eat even fish, but the existence of this reptile is not just out of chance. As per an incident, a British officer upon finding a crocodile in the pond is said to have used his gun to kill the creature. The use of weapons inside the temple was not allowed after this incident & the local King fearing God’s wrath conducted puja at the temple asking for forgiveness. It is said that within days of the killing, another crocodile emerged in the pond which is still alive & does enter the sanctum on some days to pray. The crocodile is of so much reverence that people do not fear its presence in the temple or pond, the priests daily provide food to babiya at his cave & the crocodile consumes it in full without wasting even a small portion. The temple lately has been a venue for all to watch this majestic creature which has made one believe in miracles & divinity.

The Ananthapura temple apart from its importance as being the moolasthanam of Padmanabhaswamy is also a place which in many ways was the abode of Lord Vishnu. The visit to the temple is not just to attain spiritual solace but its also a place for one to indulge in the beauty of the land considered to be Vaikunta on earth.