Ananthapura Lake Temple
| Ananthapura Lake Temple | |
|---|---|
Lake Temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kasaragod district |
| Deity | Anantha Padmanabhaswamy |
| Location | |
| Location | Naikap, Kumbla |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
Location in Kerala | |
| Coordinates | 12°35′03″N 74°58′47″E / 12.5842449°N 74.979776°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Hindu architecture |
| Temple | 1 |
| Website | |
| ananthapuratemple | |
Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Temple, also known as the Ananthapura Lake Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Anantha Padmanabhaswamy. It is located in Ananthapura village of Manjeshwaram taluk, within Kasaragod district, in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is located at the center of a rectangular tank—often referred to as a "lake"—and is the only temple of this kind in Kerala. 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.
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.