A district court here has ruled that the descendants of the Travancore kings, who called themselves `Padmanabhadasas’, can no more lay claim on the landmark Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. District sub-judge S S Vasavan delivered the judgment in a case related to the opening of the secret chamber in the landmark temple. 

The Padmanabhaswamy temple is a huge structure located in the heart of the capital city with a 100 feet gopuram (tower). Thiruvanananthapuram owes its very name to the temple’s presiding deity Anantha Padmanabha — Lord Vishnu reclining on the serpent Anantha.

According to the judge, there was a question mark on the temple administration after the last of the Travancore kings Sree Chitira Tirunal Balaramavarma passed away. The court pointed out that ever since privy purse was abolished in 1971, royal powers had ceased to exist. This was later reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in 1993.

The Travancore royalty had been looking after the temple following a 1950 law which vested its administration on a trust headed by the king.

The present head of the royal family Uthradom Tirunal Marthandavarma was no more a ruler and hence cannot lay claim on the temple administration.

“It is the State government which has to take an appropriate decision as to who should administer the temple,’’ the judge said.

Historical significance

The historical importance of the temple and the city lay in the fact that in 1750 when it was the capital of the Venad chieftains of Travancore, Maharaja Marthanda Varma dedicated the entire state to the deity of the temple.
From then on, the kings were called Padmanabhadasas. The head of the royal family still presides over several important rituals of the temple including Pallivetta (Royal hunt) and Arattu (Holy bath).

During Arattu, Uthradom Tirunal Marthandavarma still escorts the idols at the procession donning his traditional attire. During Pallivetta the head of the royal family shoots a tender coconut using a bow and arrow.