Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The temple holds an image of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Anantha, eighteen feet long and viewed through three separate doors showing the head, torso and feet, and the city takes its name from it: Thiruvananthapuram, the city of Anantha. The Travancore royal family administered it for centuries and deposited offerings in cellars beneath. In 2011, on a court order, five of six vaults were opened and found to contain gold, gems and coins valued in the tens of billions of dollars, among the largest hoards ever recorded; one vault, Vault B, has been left unopened amid legal and religious argument.

What you actually see

• The reclining Vishnu - an eighteen-foot image viewed through three doors.
• The gopuram - the seven-storey tower over the eastern entrance.
• The corridor - a pillared passage of carved granite around the shrine.
• The temple tank - the large Padma Theertham beside the entrance.

When to go

October to March; the Alpashy and Painkuni festivals bring processions to the sea. Darshan hours are limited and split through the day. Queues are long at festival times.

Honest expectations

Entry is restricted to Hindus and a strict dress code is enforced: dhoti for men with shirts removed, sari or set-mundu for women. Phones and cameras are prohibited entirely. The vaults are not visitable.

Nearby

The Napier Museum lies north; Kovalam is south.