This is the last part in the series of posts on our trip to Kerala. Early in the morning, after having our breakfast, we checked out from the resort at Kovalam. We had a flight to catch in the evening and based on it, we planned our itinerary. Our first stop was at the Lord Padmanabha Swamy temple.

Padmanabha Swamy temple:

A must see for anyone visiting Thiruvananthapuram. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is considered to be the richest Hindu temple in the world. There are four entry gates to the temple with East gate being the main entrance. Mobile phones and other electronic gadgets are not allowed inside the temple. Outside the temple, there are counters, where one can leave their shoes and mobile phones. Dress code is strictly followed at the temple and the required clothing is easily available at the temple premises at a cost. There were many shops selling vesti and other necessary items for puja.

After leaving our shoes and mobile phones at the shop outside, we entered the temple. There was a ticket counter where one can buy the tickets for a special darshan. That day, we were informed that no special darshan was available and everyone had to wait in a common line for free darshan. The queue was quite long, and we had to wait for two hours to reach the sanctum sanctorum. It is advisable to visit the temple early so as to avoid the rush. The darshan time for special darshan is relatively small compared to the normal darshan.

Once inside the sanctum sanctorum, the queue gets cleared quickly, and one gets only a few seconds to witness the swami and have his darshan. The swamy gives his darshan in the Anantashayana posture and reclines on Adi Sesha. The right hand of swami is placed over a Shiva lingam. The two consorts of Swami- Sridevi and Bhudevi are by his side. The idol of Lord Padmanabha Swamy can be seen through three different doors.

One can have the glimpse of Swami’s face through the first door, nabhi from which Lord Brahma appears on a Lotus is seen through the center door and the feet can be seen from the last door. There was pedestal situated opposite to the Swami offering a better view. We are not sure if the special entry ticket allows the devotees to have the darshan from this pedestal but we heard a few people saying so. So, if the tickets are available, I would say that one must definitely go for the special darshan because the normal darshan gave us neither the time nor the angle to witness the swami in his complete grandeur.

After our darshan, we headed to visit the Napier Museum.

Napier Museum:

Napier museum was built in 1880 by erstwhile Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal and is one of the oldest museums in India. It is named after the former Governor General of Madras, Lord Napier.It offers a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of Kerala. There were many artifacts at display ranging from the bronze figurines to musical instruments to carvings in wood and ivory. One can also go and explore the natural history museum and zoo situated on the same premises. The place is close to the airport and one can make this as the last stop before heading off to the airport.

We skipped the zoo and only visited the museum. It was quite hot that day and as I mentioned earlier, we had a flight to catch . So, we decided to have our lunch and move to the airport. One of the best and famous places to have food at Trivandrum is Mothers Veg Plaza. For anyone thinking of relishing the authentic Kerala meal, it is one of the best places. Try the sadya sapadu which is served on a banana leaf to enjoy the traditional flavours.

By the time we reached there, it was quite crowdy and we had to wait for almost 40 minutes to have our seat. The staff were quite helpful and guided us in trying and enjoying the different food combinations. There was a widespread of sweets for the persons with sweet tooth as well. We had a pleasant experience there. After the lunch, we headed to the airport and bid our driver goodbye.

We ended our tour to Kerala with satisfied hearts as well as tummies.

• Dress code at Padmanabha Swamy temple: Men should wear vesti with angavastram. Shirt is not allowed.
• Women should wear a Saree or has to wrap a vesti around the waist in case of wearing a churidhar.
• Napier Museum: Closed on Mondays and usually closes at 4:45 pm on all other days.