Ananthapura Lake Temple | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Kasaragod district |
Deity | Mahavishnu |
Location | |
Location | Naikap, Kumbla |
State | Kerala |
Country | India |
Location in Kerala | |
Geographic coordinates | 12°35′03″N 74°58′47″E / 12.5842449°N 74.979776°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Hindu architecture |
Temple(s) | 1 |
Website | |
http://ananthapuratemple.com/ |
Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple or Ananthapura Lake Temple is a Hindu temple in the middle of a lake in the village of Ananthapura, around 6 km from the town of Kumbla in Manjeshwaram Taluk of Kasaragod District of Kerala, South India. This is the only Hindu lake temple in Kerala, and as per some traditions, is believed to be the original seat (Moolasthanam) of Ananthapadmanabha Swami (Padmanabhaswamy temple) Thiruvananthapuram. It is considered one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition. Legend has it that this is the original site where Ananthapadmanabha settled down.[1][2]
The lake in which the sanctum sanctorum is built measures about 2 acres. An interesting spot to keep in mind while visiting the temple is a cave to the right (North) corner of the lake. According to the local legend, the deity Anantha Padmanabha chose to go all the way to Thiruvananthapuram, through that cave. Hence, both the places retain similar names, being on either end of the region.