Mithranandapuram Trimurti Temple Complex

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It is opportunities galore for the traveller and the pilgrim who heads to Thiruvananthapuram as the city is home not only to Thiru Anantha, but a clutch of ancient temples, all within the proverbial stone's throw. Right next to the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple is the Mithranandapuram temple complex where you could worship the Trimurtis, the Divine trio of the Hindu pantheon.

The Mithranandapuram Trimurti Temple dates back to antiquity by any reckoning though it is not an easy matter to fix its historical position with any accuracy. Common lore has it that the Trimurtis --Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara-- had conducted a Yagna here to propitiate Mithra or the sun god, and hence the name of the temple. More knowledgeable and historically aware pundits associate the name with those of Sanghamitra (the daughter of Emperor Asoka) and Ananda Bhikshu (the disciple of Sri Buddha) who were on a mission to the south, and especially to the Sinhala island (Sri Lanka), to spread the new faith. Considering the historical fact that both Jainism and Buddhism had strong roots in Kerala till the 10th C. and had enjoyed Royal patronage, and also that the later Hindu revival had converted most of these early shrines into Hindu places of worship, this premise cannot be ruled out. What is evident from extant epigraphs is that it is possible that the temple complex predates the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple.

Today the temple is known more as perhaps the only complex where Trimurti pratishtas are seen in close proximity, and where one could worship them on the same day--and, as a bonus, also offer prayers at the Sri Krishna temple linked closely with Vilwamangalam Swamiyar. The temple complex is across the road from the west Nada of the Padmanabhaswamy temple. At the end of the short lane you could see the north and south Nambi Madhoms (the abodes of the chief priests of the Padmanabhaswamy temple) on both sides. Then you descend a flight of steps to reach a world from antiquity, its calm still preserved amidst the din and bustle of a modern city. 

The Vishnu and Siva temples are side-by-side, while the Brahma temple is a short walk away to the western side. This lends credence to the story that the Brahma temple was a later addition in deference to "Deva Prasnam", the traditional way of finding the Lord's will by way of astrological divination. Lore is it that soldiers on guard duty at the West Fort gate met with mysterious accidents, so much so that the west gate was dubbed 'Nariyadichan Kotta', probably a reference to the mysterious 'nari' (panther) that struck down the soldiers in the dead of night. Astrologers like the Koopakkara Potti decreed that the gate should be shifted to the north (the present day West Fort gate), and in that place a Brahma temple should be built to propitiate the restive spirits, and thus restore some amount of peace and order. This was how the complex got the Trinity together.

The huge temple tank, that goes under various names like Agasthya Theertham, Varaha Theertham and Brahma Theertham, is closely connected with the annual rituals of the Padmanabhaswamy temple. It is also here that the Nambis take their daily ritualistic ablutions before pooja. As such, the temple tank is held in high esteem, and is out of bounds for the laity.

A stone walkway by the side of the temple tank leads to the Brahma temple on the south-west corner of the tank. It is the practice to have first darshan at the Brahma temple, then at the Vishnu temple, and lastly at the Maheswara temple. But often after the Brahma darshan, pilgrims make a beeline to the adjacent Sri Krishna temple (associated with Vilawamangalam Swamiyar) in the north-west corner of the tank.

The Brahma temple has the rare distinction that here Brahma is the chief deity-- usually Brahma pratishtas are rare, and is often seen as a sub-deity. (Couple of such temples of note in Thiruvananthapuram are the Kanthalloor Valiyasala Temple and the Thiruvallom Parasurama Temple, where Brahma is the sub-deity - see Google Map links below.) The shrine has a Dravidian style tiered, square sanctum, with a contiguously built 4-pillar Namaskara Mandapam-- an architectural rarity that dates back to ancient times. (There are other such rare examples in very old shrines in Thiruvananthapuram; the age-old Sree Chakrathil Siva temple near the Thrikkannapuram bridge, restored a few decades back, has a circular Sanctum, with a contiguous rectangular roofed Namaskara Mandapam. -- Google Map link below). Also, the Brahma idol in stone has only one head, as against the common depiction of Brahma with four heads. Ganapathy occupies pride of place on the south-east corner of the Sanctum. On the east side in the courtyard, there is a Nagar pratishta.

At the north-west corner of the temple tank, past the accommodation of the chief priests, is the Sri Krishna shrine associated with Vilwamangalam Swamiyar. According to lore, Sage Vilwamangalam was the one who first got the vision of Lord Vishnu in the Anantha Sayee pose, reclining on the Anantha Nag, and who later installed the deity at the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple. He continued in Thiru Anantha Puram as the 'Pushpanjali Swamiyar', a title bestowed upon him by the Raja, offering floral tributes and poojas to Anantha Padmanabha. He was an avid Krishna bhakta, and it is believed that after his samadhi his mortal remains were buried and the Krishna idol was installed above that. Outside the shrine on the south-east corner there is a Radha-Krishna-Garuda prathista, and adjacent to that, a symbolic prathista of the Swamiyar.

Moving east along the narrow stone walkway hugging the south bank of the pond, one comes to the shady corner where a huge banyan tree towers over the temple walls. The Vishnu temple is on the right. The circular Sanctum is roofed with copper sheets and the Namaskara Mandapam is 4-pillared, with a Garuda statue facing the Lord. The idol in a standing posture has four hands carrying "shankhu,, chakram, gada and padmam". The murals on the Sanctum walls are badly in need of preservation. The tiled Nalambalam roof is supported by heavily carved stone pillars in the typical south Indian style. This is the largest of the shrines.

Adjacent to this on the south side is the Siva temple.  The Sanctum is square shaped with copper sheet roofing, built in the traditional manner, with a 4-pillared Namaskara Mandapam housing a Nandi statue facing Mahadeva. The Ganapathy shrine is in the traditional "Kanni moola" in the south-west.

The unique trio of shrines and their setting offers more than balm to vexed minds and a leisurely darshan can be a calming and enjoyable experience both for the traveller and the devout pilgrim.


Sree Chakrathil Siva Temple: https://goo.gl/maps/M61CsM7WmJ7qEBjD8

Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple: https://goo.gl/maps/uRHcjFBPK8mkVdLo7

Kanthalloor Mahadeva Temple, Valiyasala: https://goo.gl/maps/9ZtBzV7Zp7z5sq3F6

























The Brahma Temple












The Sree Krishna Temple










The Vishnu Temple






















The Siva Temple





















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