This temple is a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. The temple architecture stands out for its work in stone and bronze. The interiors are adorned by beautiful paitings and murals. The temple also has some interesting structural features in the form of Bali peeda Mandapa, Mukha mandapa and Navagraha mandapa. These halls are decorated with beautiful sculptures of various dieties. These halls are covered with wire mesh fencing, but can be seen from outside. The dhwaja stamba is 80 feet high, covered with gold sheets. There is another mandapa with 365 ¼ sculpted granite stone pillars. There is a naataka shaala in the ground floor of the eastern entrance. Kerala’s classical art forms like Kathakali are performed here during festivals.
The history of the temple dates back to 8th century. In 1750, Marthanda varma dedicated the kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha. King Marthanda varma did a major renovation to the temple and it resulted in the present day structure of the temple. Marthanda varma vowed that the royal family will rule the empire on behalf of the lord and he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa or the slaves of Lord Padmanabha. The donation of the kingdom of Tranvancore to Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thripadidaanam. The present head of the Travancore Royal family is Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Currently the temple and the palace properties are run by a trust headed by the erstwhile Royal family of Travancore. It was Marthanda varma who introduced the Murajapam and Bhadra Deepam festivals in the temple. Murajapam means continuous chanting of prayers, conducted once in six years.
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