Hindu temple in Kerala, India
| Sreevaraham Lakshmi Varaha Temple, Thiruvananthapuram | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Deity | Lakshmi Varahar |
| Festivals | Festival in the Malayalam month of Meenam, Varaha Jayanthi |
| Location | |
| Location | Thiruvananthapuram |
| State | Kerala |
| Country |  India |
  Sreevaraham Lakshmi Varaha Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | |
| Geographic coordinates | 8°28′38.6″N 76°56′32.6″E / 8.477389°N 76.942389°E / 8.477389; 76.942389 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Architecture of Kerala |
| Specifications | |
| Temple(s) | One |
| Elevation | 37.01 m (121 ft) |
Sreevaraham Lakshmi Varaha Temple, locally known as Sreevaraham Temple, is a Hindu temple in Sreevaraham, Thiruvananthapuram, near to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The principal deity of the temple is Varaha, the third avatar of the god Vishnu.
The temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Deities
The main deity is Lakshmi Varaha - Varaha sitting with his consort Lakshmi on his lap. The sub-deities are Ganapathy, Krishna, Nagaraja, Yakshiamma and others.
Importance
The principal deity of the temple is Varaha, the third avatar of Vishnu. This is one of the few temples in India where Lakshmi is depicted with Varaha. Only three temples of Varaha exist in Kerala. This temple in Thiruvananthapuram is believed to be more than 5000 years old.
Architecture
The temple is of typical Kerala style architecture and the sanctum is round in shape and its roof is covered with copper plates. The 'nalambalam' which is the outer structure is square shaped. There is a golden flag post in the temple.
The temple pond is the largest temple pond in Kerala and has an area of 8 acres. The large number of priests arriving for the Murajapam ritual at Padmanabhaswamy temple take bath in this pond. During Onam festival, a boat race is conducted in this pond.
Offerings
Offerings that are common in other Vishnu temples are done here also which includes 'Archana, Ganapathy Homam, Ashtothararchana, Thrimadhuram, Paalpayasam, Unniyappam, Thulabaram and so on.
Festivals
The main festival is in the Malayalam month of Meenam (mid March -mid April) and during the same period of 'Painguni Festival' of Padmanabhaswamy temple. Varaha Jayanthi in the Malayalam month of Meenam is also celebrated in a grand manner.
References
- "Back to the Vedas, with Murajapam". The Hindu. 21 November 2007.
- "Sreevaraham Temple Pond - Thiruvananthapuram".