The Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list runs to more than forty separate offerings, and the cheapest one costs just ₹20. Most devotees reach the East Fort gate knowing they want to offer something. Yet they have no idea what to ask for, or what it costs.
This guide sets out the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list exactly as the temple’s own booking portal publishes it. It also covers the counter procedure, the online steps, and the entry rules that stop people at the gate.
Sri Vyasa Pooja is an independent information guide. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official website of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple or its Administrative Committee. We do not accept bookings, offerings, donations, or payments. Make every booking on the temple’s own portal or at its counters.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List: Quick Facts
- Rates run from ₹20 for a simple archana to ₹25,000 for the full-day Udayasthamana Pooja.
- Nine prathishtas (consecrated deities) each carry their own separate vazhipadu list.
- You can book online at the temple portal or in person at the Sreekaryam counter.
- You either collect prasadam inside the temple or receive it by post for a postal charge.
- The temple admits Hindu devotees only, and it enforces a strict traditional dress code.
- General darshan itself costs nothing, so only the offerings carry a rate.
According to the temple’s official booking portal, the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list begins at ₹20 for the Ashtothararchana. It tops out at ₹25,000 for the Udayasthamana Pooja, which admits six devotees. That spread is the single most useful thing to know before you plan an offering.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List with Official Rates
The table below covers the main vazhipadu for the principal deity, Sree Padmanabha Swamy. Rates come from the temple’s own booking system, so these are the figures the counter will quote you. Because the Administrative Committee revises them from time to time, confirm the amount before you pay.
| Offering (Vazhipadu) | What it is | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Ashtothararchana | Archana with the 108 names | ₹20 |
| Sahasranamarchana | Archana with the 1,000 names | ₹30 |
| Purushasooktharchana | Archana with the Purusha Suktam | ₹30 |
| Swayamvararchana | Offered when praying for marriage | ₹30 |
| Santhanagopalarchana | Offered when praying for children | ₹30 |
| Dhanwanthari Archana | Archana linked with prayers for health | ₹30 |
| Aval | Beaten rice offering | ₹30 |
| Neyvilakku | Ghee lamp | ₹50 |
| Thirumaduram | Sweet offering | ₹50 |
| Special Seva (Archana) | Archana booked as a special seva | ₹50 |
| Panchamrutham | Five-ingredient sweet offering | ₹60 |
| Unniyappam | Evening prasadam, collected at Sreekaryam | ₹60 |
| Idichu Pizhinja Payasam | Traditional Kerala payasam | ₹80 |
| Palpayasam (half litre) | Milk payasam | ₹100 |
| Palpayasam (one litre) | Milk payasam, larger measure | ₹200 |
| Ksheerabhishekam | Milk abhishekam | ₹100 |
| Annadanam (one person) | Sponsoring a meal for one devotee | ₹101 |
| Choroonu | First rice-feeding ceremony for a child | ₹200 |
| Ottathula Payasam | Larger payasam offering | ₹500 |
| Valiya Alankaram | Grand decoration of the deity | ₹1,000 |
| Nirmalyam to Deeparadhana | Ritual slot, maximum 3 devotees | ₹3,000 |
| Panthrandu Thula Payasam | Twelve-thula payasam | ₹4,500 |
| Menithula Payasam (1 unit) | Full-unit thula payasam | ₹6,000 |
| Suvarna Darshan | Deeparadhana and Suvarna slots, maximum 6 devotees | ₹20,000 |
| Udayasthamana Pooja | Dawn-to-dusk pooja, maximum 6 devotees | ₹25,000 |
Archanas Most Devotees Book from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List
Two entries dominate the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list at the counter. Ashtothararchana at ₹20 and Sahasranamarchana at ₹30 cover the vast majority of bookings, because they suit any occasion. Devotees give the name and birth star of the person the offering honours.
Several archanas carry a specific prayer. Devotees offer Swayamvararchana when praying for marriage, and Santhanagopalarchana when praying for children. These belong to tradition and devotional belief rather than assured outcomes, so treat them that way.
Payasam and Prasadam on the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List
Payasam gives the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list much of its character. The temple books Menithula Payasam by unit, and it sells fractions so that ordinary devotees can take part. A sixteenth of a unit costs ₹500, a quarter ₹1,500, a half ₹3,000, and a full unit ₹6,000.
Collection trips up most first-timers. The temple hands out Menithulapayasam and Palpayasam inside, at the Palpayasapura on the North Nada, between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Bring your own vessel and a copy of the receipt, because the temple supplies no containers.
You collect Unniyappam, Ottayada and Valsan separately at the Sreekaryam office near the South Gate, between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM. The same office issues Hanuman Swamy vada prasadam between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM. Miss those windows and the prasadam is gone for the day.
Large Sevas and Ritual-Access Slots on the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List
A few entries on the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list are not offerings at all. They buy access to a specific ritual window. Nirmalyam to Deeparadhana costs ₹3,000 for three devotees. Nirmalyam to Pantheeradi Pooja costs ₹5,000 for five, while the half-day Nirmalyam to Uchapooja costs ₹12,000 for three.
At the top sit Suvarna Darshan at ₹20,000 and Udayasthamana Pooja at ₹25,000, each capped at six devotees. Because headcount limits these slots rather than ticket volume, families should confirm the exact number of people allowed before paying.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List: Counter Procedure
Once you have chosen an item, the counter procedure itself is simple. It moves fast, though, and nobody explains it twice. Knowing the sequence saves you a second trip through the queue.
- Deposit your phone, camera and footwear before entering, since electronics cannot go inside.
- Go to the vazhipadu counter and name the deity you want the offering made to.
- Name the offering, then give the name and birth star of the devotee it honours.
- Pay and take the receipt, because you exchange the receipt for prasadam later.
- Note the collection point and time printed for that offering.
- Return to the correct counter within the stated window to collect the prasadam.
An archana in your name does not require you to stand at the sanctum while it happens. The priest performs it during the relevant pooja, so your receipt serves as the record.
How to Book from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List Online
The temple runs its own portal at booking.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org, and it is the only online channel the temple operates. Register with your name, email and mobile number first. After that, the flow is short.
- Choose Single Day Booking, then select the prathishta (deity) you are offering to.
- Tick the offerings you want from that deity’s vazhipadu list, then press Add.
- Enter the name and details of the devotee the offering honours.
- Select the prasadam shipping mode, since you can collect in person or receive it by post.
- Review the order, then proceed to payment through your bank.
- Keep the receipt, because the receipt or SMS confirmation proves the booking.
Multi-day vazhipadu and E-Kanika
Multiple Day Vazhipad sits in a separate menu, and most devotees overlook it. You pick the deity, the offering, the start date and the number of days. The portal also lets you search dates by birth star, by month, by calendar date, or by Malayalam month.
E-Kanika is the temple’s online donation channel, listed under Other Offerings. It sits outside the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list, so a donation does not include an archana unless you book one separately.
Getting prasadam by post
If you cannot travel, the portal offers postal delivery at the shipping-mode step. A postal charge applies on top of the offering rate. This is the practical route for devotees outside Kerala who want an offering made in their name without a trip to Thiruvananthapuram.
Darshan Timings You Should Plan Around
Offerings only work if you are inside during the right window. The temple does not stay open in one block, because the ritual schedule shapes the whole day. The table below sets out the widely published daily slots.
| Session | Approximate window |
|---|---|
| Nirmalya Darshanam | 3:15/3:30 AM to 4:15/4:45 AM |
| Morning slot | 6:30 AM to 7:00 AM |
| Morning slot | 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM |
| Late morning slot | 10:30 AM to 11:10 AM |
| Midday slot | 11:45 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Evening slot | 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM |
| Evening slot (Deeparadhana) | 6:45 PM to 7:20 PM |
Two details matter here. The temple shuts to devotees from roughly 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM, not until 4:00 PM as several older pages still claim. Published sources also disagree on the first slot, giving either 3:15 AM or 3:30 AM. So confirm the schedule on the day if you plan to attend Nirmalya Darshanam.
Timings tighten further during Painkuni and Alpashy Utsavam and on other festival days. Check the temple’s own site at spst.in before you travel, since festival schedules override the daily pattern.
Dress Code and Entry Rules That Stop People at the Gate
Clothing turns back more visitors than anything else. Men wear a mundu or dhoti and remove the shirt, though a shawl over the upper body passes. Women wear a saree, a set-mundu, or a long skirt and blouse.
Salwar kameez generally passes only with a mundu worn over it, so check locally before you rely on it. Jeans, trousers, shorts, Bermudas and T-shirts fail for either men or women. Shops just outside the gate rent or sell mundus if you arrive unprepared.
The temple admits Hindu devotees only, and staff take a declaration of faith at the main gate. You must also deposit mobile phones and cameras outside. Plan for that, because you cannot photograph the sanctum and you lose your phone for the duration of the visit.
What Most Guides Get Wrong About the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List
Three claims about the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list circulate widely, and none of them survives a look at the temple’s own portal. Correcting them saves devotees both money and a wasted trip.
First, several sites advertise a ₹500 “VIP darshan” bookable online at 8:30 PM. No such entry appears on the temple’s published vazhipadu list. The paid ritual-access slots the temple actually sells are the Nirmalyam and Suvarna Darshan entries, and they cost thousands rather than hundreds.
Second, third-party sites offer to book poojas on your behalf, sometimes adding a “service fee”. The temple’s own portal is the only online channel it runs, so any other site charging you is an intermediary you do not need.
Third, older pages still repeat that the six vaults await a committee decision. In its judgment of 13 July 2020, the Supreme Court restored the Travancore royal family’s shebait rights and placed administration with a committee, while Vault B remains unopened. Later audit orders show that the structure now stands settled rather than pending.
If Your Booking Does Not Go Through
Booking from the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list online carries no guarantee, because slot capacity, payment gateways and festival closures all interfere. Knowing the fallbacks in advance matters more than any single tip.
If the payment fails but money leaves your account, check My Transactions on the portal before you rebook. A receipt or SMS confirms that the temple registered the offering. Without either one, the booking did not complete.
If a date shows unavailable online, the counter remains the reliable route. You book at the counter in person on the day, and it covers the same list. For capped sevas such as Udayasthamana Pooja, devotees take dates months ahead, so a walk-in rarely succeeds on a festival day.
If you cannot travel at all, use the postal prasadam option or the multi-day booking. Neither one requires your presence. No legitimate agent route exists, so treat any offer to “arrange” a seva as something to avoid.
Practical Notes Before You Go
Queues here mean long spells standing on stone in humid heat, often before dawn. Carry water for the wait outside, and let elderly relatives rest before joining. Anyone with a cardiac or mobility condition should speak to a doctor before attempting a pre-dawn slot or a long queue.
Wheelchairs go only as far as the main entrance, and the temple provides one on request inside. No washrooms exist within the temple, so use the facilities outside beforehand. Devotees adding a second Kerala shrine to the same trip often pair this visit with the vazhipadu at Sri Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple Pooja List for the Other Eight Deities
The principal list is only part of the picture. Eight further prathishtas carry their own offerings, and you select each one on the portal. They are Sree Narasimha Swamy, Sree Krishna Swamy, Sree Sastha and Sree Mahaganapathy. The rest are Sree Hanuman Swamy, Veda Vyasar and Sreerama Swamy, plus a Gaushala donation option.
Rates differ by deity, and some offerings exist at one shrine only. Hanuman Swamy vada prasadam is the clearest example, since it keeps its own collection window at the Sreekaryam office. Select the deity first on the portal, because the whole list changes once you do.
Before You Book
Decide your offering from the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list before you reach the counter, and carry the name and birth star of whoever it honours. Book the small archanas on the day, but book the capped sevas well ahead through the official portal. Confirm the rate at the moment of payment, since the committee revises figures periodically.
Above all, use only the temple’s own channels. If you are observing the vratam at home, our guide to the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Vratham in Telugu covers the household procedure. Our page on Trivandrum darshan timings also goes deeper on the daily schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest offering at the temple?
Ashtothararchana at ₹20 is the cheapest entry on the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list. Sahasranamarchana and most Vedic hymn archanas follow at ₹30. Because the counter prices these directly, the temple expects no minimum donation beyond the rate itself.
Can I book a pooja online without visiting the temple?
Yes. The temple’s portal at booking.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org accepts single-day and multi-day bookings. The temple can also post prasadam to your address for a postal charge. You register once, select the deity, choose the offering, and pay online.
What is Menithula Payasam and why does it cost so much?
Menithula Payasam is a large ritual payasam offering measured in units, and a full unit costs ₹6,000. The temple sells fractions so that smaller budgets can take part, starting at ₹500 for a sixteenth of a unit. Collection happens inside the temple in the morning window.
Is there a VIP darshan ticket at Padmanabhaswamy Temple?
The temple’s published list carries no low-cost VIP darshan ticket. What it does sell are ritual-access slots. Nirmalyam to Deeparadhana costs ₹3,000 and Suvarna Darshan ₹20,000, and each one is capped to a few devotees. Verify any claim of a ₹500 online VIP pass with the temple directly.
Do I need to bring a vessel for payasam prasadam?
Yes, for Menithulapayasam and Palpayasam. The temple asks devotees to bring their own vessel and a copy of the receipt. Collection happens at the Palpayasapura on the North Nada, between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. It supplies no containers.
Can non-Hindus enter to make an offering?
No. The temple admits Hindu devotees only, and staff take a declaration of faith at the gate. Visitors of other faiths can view the gopuram and the outer complex, though they cannot enter or book vazhipadu inside.
Are the rates the same at the counter and online?
The rates on the Padmanabhaswamy temple pooja list published online are the temple’s own figures, so the counter quotes the same amounts. Online bookings may add a postal charge if you choose delivery. Since the Administrative Committee revises rates periodically, confirm the current amount when you pay.
Which gate should I use for prasadam collection?
It depends on the offering. You collect payasam prasadam inside the temple at the North Nada. The Sreekaryam office near the South Gate issues Unniyappam, Ottayada, Valsan and Hanuman Swamy vada prasadam. Your booking states the collection point.
