The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Secret Cellars Create the Richest Hindu Temple in India

Of all the Hindu temples in India, the wealthiest by far is the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. According to Guinness World Records, this temple replaced the Tirupati Temple (also in India) as the richest Hindu temple in the world in 2011 due to the discovery of secret cellars containing a vast treasure of gold, silver and precious stones.

One of the Holiest Abodes of Vishnu

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram, which is situated in the south-western Indian state of Kerala. The principal deity worshiped at this temple is Vishnu. According to one source, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams in India. These 108 temples are mentioned by the Hindu Azhvars (saints) between the 6th and 9th centuries AD as the holiest abodes of Vishnu. Therefore, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple has been occupying an important place in the Hindu religion for a very long time.

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple complex, Kerala, India (Wikimedia Commons)