Varkkala Local Customs

the seven storied sri padmanabhaawami temple is a prominent pilgrimage landmark of thiruvananthapuram(Tiru-Ananta-puram )Tiru-Ananta-puram, which means the place of the sacred serpent, Ananta or Adisesha on which the lord of the temple Padmanabha reclines.
thiruvananthapuram was formerly known as trivandrum
it was reconstructed in 1729 A.D. by the maharaja Marthanda Varma, labeled as the maker of modern Travancore.the actual temple dates back to 3000bc.
The darshan (auspicious time of worship) is done through three doors in a row.- the face on the southern side, the sacred feet on the northernside and the nabhi (navel) in the middle from which Brahma forms
On the pyramidal structure the gopura are beautifully sculpted figures and scenes from the Puranas. every pillar has the figure of a Nayar girl bearing a lamp in the palm of her hands joined together and raised above the waist. another interesting accomplishment are the hollow stone poles which when struck make a bell like sound.
when visiting the temple you require special white clothes. males require a wraparound lungi and females require a sari.however make personal detailed enquiry about the dresscode.

paying obeisance at sivagiri . the picture shows us praying in front of the statue of sree narayana guru

the indian system of paying respects to god or to greet each other is known as namaste. if you have flown air india or indian airlines anytime the cabin crew greets yoy with a namaste.

"Namas " = to bow in reverential salutation
"Te" = to you.
Therefore "Namaste", I bow to you, reminding that God is everywhere and in every human being we meet anywhere at any time.