Ananthapura Lake Temple is a serene Hindu temple constructed in the middle of a lake located in Ananthapura, Kasargod. It is a famous sightseeing attraction in Kerala. The Lake Temple is dedicated to Ananthapadmanabhan Swami. It is believed that Ananthapadmanabhan settled here first and then moved to Thiruvananthapuram through a cave that lies on the right side corner of the lake. The cave is thought to separate Ananthapura and Thiruvananthapuram naturally, and hence both the temples retain the name of the same deity.
The calm lake, pleasant temple and its surreal architecture are bound to captivate your senses. This is the only temple that is believed to have a crocodile as a guardian and a messenger. Devotees firmly believe that crocodile is a vegetarian. It is 80plus-year-old, named Babiya.
The glorious temple is famous for its location – the middle of a lake formed by spring water. Legends state that the original idols in the sanctum sanctorum were made by combining over 70 herbs. In 1972, these idols were replaced with the idols made of Panchaloha metals. The current idol of Lord Vishnu is seen sitting on Anantha – the God of Serpents.
The Wooden architecture of the temple depicts the incidents from the stories of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Some of these stories are painted along with nine planets on the temple porch. A footbridge connects the eastern rock and the namaskara mandapam and is the only passage to reach the Sreekovil.
Teppotsavam is a religiously famous festival celebrated at the temple in April. This festival involves a ceremonial procession of God along the lake. This part of the celebration is followed by Yakshaganam- a traditional form of dance from Karnataka.