Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar | Timings & Festivals

Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is in Adyar, Chennai. Although a relatively new temple—barely 50 years old—Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple is central to the lives of residents of both colonies, Kasturibanagar and Gandhinagar. The temple is open from 06:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m.

About Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar

The main deity of this temple is Ananta Padmanabha Swamy. This temple has a rich history and legends associated with it.

Sri Padmanabha Dasa, the Travancore Maharaja, donated the temple’s land. The land chosen to build the temple is near the Adyar bus stand. 

The head of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Shankaracharya blessed the temple’s opening ceremony. Following his wishes, only one temple was built, and the main shrine was dedicated to Sri Padmanabha Swamy, just like the one in Trivandrum.

Puranas say that Sri Padmanabha restrained himself from taking a small form at the request of sage Divakara. Sri Padmanabhu intends to offer worship and darshan to the devotees through the three gates. Worshipping God through these three doors, representing the circle of birth, life, and death, has religious significance.

History Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar

The love and need to worship their beloved Lord Vishnu among the residents of the two newly formed colonies of Kasturibanagar and Gandhinagar. After some informal meetings, Adyar felt that a temple at a central location would be ideal. 

To take this matter further, the Adyar Hindu Religious Society was established on 12th December 1956 at the residence of Shri A.R. Narayana Rao.

The committee expressed their desire to construct a temple dedicated to Sri Padmanabha Swamy at the site of his complex near the bus stand to the Travancore Maharaja Sri Padmanabha Dasa Chittirai Tirunal. 

The Maharaja of Travancore agreed wholeheartedly and gave the Sangha Rs. 7500 for a better location independent of the palace ground. He kindly handed over the effigy of Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy at Trivandrum. 

The temple site was visited and blessed by Pavitra Shankaracharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha, expressing his desire to have only the main shrine dedicated to Sri Padmanabha Swamy depicted in Trivandrum.

In 1962, the first Maha Kumbhabhishekam was performed in the temple on the occasion of installing the main deities of Swami Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal and powerful yantras were offered to the temple by Sri Kanchi Sri Sri Paramacharya. 

On Friday, 1st June 2012, the temple celebrated its Golden Jubilee by conducting the 5th Revival Ashtabandhana Maha Kumbhabhishekam.

The two newly designed golden doors of Moolavar Sri Padmanaba Sannidhi and Swargavasala were opened in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Important Shrines in the Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar

Other special shrines in the temple are

• Vinayaka
• Maha Durga
• Ashtadasabhuja Garuda
• Lakshmi Narasimha
• Anjaneya
• Sudarshana
• Navagrahas

One can have darshan of

• Bhumi Devi
• Sri Devi
• Sage Markandeya
• Sage Bhrigu inside the sanctum sanctorum.

Importance of Temple

The main legend associated with the temple tells of how Sri Padmanabha shrunk himself down when he sought sage Divakara. God intended to worship through three doors in the sanctum sanctorum. 

The first door presents the darshan of Sri Padmanabha’s face (thirumukhamandalam) with Lord Shiva under his arm (tirukaram).

From the second door, one can glimpse Lord Brahma seated on a lotus flower emerging from the Lord’s navel. 

Devotees can worship the Lord’s feet (Tirupadam) through the third door. His feet are holy and the destination of every soul. The three doors are powerful symbols of birth, life, and death. The first gate that gives the darshan of God’s face and eyes is ‘Shiti’, which means God protects and preserves the soul.

The second door represents ‘Srishti’, meaning the creation of all beings. Lord Brahma is the creator of life. The third door represents the soul’s salvation after leaving the body. He reaches the Lord’s feet.

The presence of Lord Shiva symbolizes the protection that comes from worshipping Sri Padmanabha. This temple relates to Lord Vishnu’s victory over the demons Kesi and Bhasmasura. Navagrahas and 33 crore deities worship the Lord inside the sanctum sanctorum.

Timings of Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar

The temple opens at 6 am, closes at noon, reopens at 4:30 pm, and ends at 9 pm. Devotees should be punctual.

Days	Morning Timings	Evening Timings
Monday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Tuesday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Wednesday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday	06 am to 12 pm	4:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Festivals of Ananta Padmanabhaswamy Temple Adyar

The temple hosts many festivals yearly, each marking an event related to the Lord. Important ones are Sri Vaikuntha Ekadesi in December-January, Brahmotsavam in February-March, the 10-day Navratri festival in September-October, and many more. Devotees were expected to arrive early and observe cleanliness and orderliness in their conduct.

Nearby places to visit

• Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple
• Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
• Poovar Island
• Padmanabhapuram Palace
• Agastya Mala
• Vizhinjam Lighthouse

Accommodation near Temple

Adyar has several hotels to suit different budgets, and local transport, such as the mass rapid transit system, autos, and taxis, is easily accessible from all areas.

• Esthell Hotel
• Kolam Serviced Apartments
• Raj Palace Sundar
• RMC Travellers Inn
• Annsun Boutique Hotel
• Park Tree Hotel Chennai
• The Lord’s Abode

Address

Second Main Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600020

How to reach?

By air:

Adyar is located in South Chennai. Chennai has good air connectivity and is an important South Indian domestic and international airport hub. Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple can be easily reached using local taxis and auto rickshaws.

By train:

Chennai Central Railway Station attracts tourists from all over the country. The mass rapid transit system that runs through Adyar serves three stations: Kasturbai Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, and Indira Nagar.

By road:

This temple is very close to the Adyar Circle Bus Stand. Major inter-city and inter-south state buses ply on this route. Local state buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are also normal modes of transport to reach the temple complex.

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