Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is characterized by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills and busy commercial alleys. With almost 745,000 inhabitants as per the 2001 census, it is the largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration has a population of more than one million. Apart from being the IT hub of the state with over 80% of the state's software exports, Thiruvananthapuram ranks first in the number of international tourists in Kerala also. The wooded highlands on the Western Ghats in the eastern and northeastern borders give Thiruvananthapuram some of the most enchanting picnic spots. A long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage make it a much sought after tourist centre. Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills by the sea shore and is located on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. Thiruvananthapuram lies on the shores of Karamana and Killi river s. Thiruvallam and Veli backwaters lies in the city. The area can be divided into two geographical regions, the midlands and the lowlands. The midland region comprises low hills and valleys adjoining the Western Ghats. The lowland is a narrow stretch comprising shorelines, rivers and deltas, dotted with coconut palms.
Vellayani Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the district, is in the suburbs of the city. There are highlands, which form the eastern suburbs of the city. The highest point in the district is the Agasthyarkoodam which rises 1869m above sea level. Ponmudi and Mukkunimala are hill-resorts near the city.
It is the first city along the path of the south-west monsoons and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets heavy rainfall of around 1700 mm per year. The city also gets rain from the receding north-east monsoons which hit the city by October. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest. The lowest temperature recorded during winter was 15 °C, and the highest temperature recorded in summer is 37 °C
The city houses many central and state government offices, organizations and companies. Apart from being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the University of Kerala, and to many science and technology institutions, the most prominent being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER). It is also considered as one of the cleanest cities in India
Thiruvananthapuram means "Abode of Lord Ananta" in Malayalam. The name derives from the deity of the Hindu temple at the centre of the city. Anantha is the serpent Shesha on whom Padmanabhan or Vishnu reclines. The temple of Vishnu reclining on Anantha, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple remains the iconic landmark of the city. The city was officially referred to as Trivandrum in English until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the city's original name Thiruvananthapuram in all languages.
Padmanabha Swamy Temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is known for its mural paintings and stone carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India.
Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum: The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture also has exquisite wood carvings. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family and is located near the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
The Napier Museum: Built in the 19th century, the Indo - saracenic structure boasts a "natural" air conditioning system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery: Located near the Napier Museum, this art gallery displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali.
Shankhumugham Beach: Just 8 km from the city, is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation club, the matsya kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a starfish are some of the attractions here. Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park here provides opportunity for children to learn the traffic rules
Veli Tourist Village: This picnic spot, where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea, offers boating facilities. Peddleboats can be hired to explore the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely manner. For a quick ride over the waters, speedboats are available for hire. Children enjoy climbing over the huge sculptures which dot the landscape.
Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE. It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BCE. The city was the trading post of spices, sandalwood and ivory.However, the ancient political and cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad.
The rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram began with accession of Marthanda Varma in 1729 as the founding ruler of the princely state of Travancore (Thiruvithamkoor in the local vernacular). Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of Travancore in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari district. The city developed into a major intellectual and artistic centre during this period. The golden age in the city's history was during the mid 19th century under the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. This era saw the establishment of the first English school (1834), the Observatory (1837), the General Hospital (1839), the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College (1873). The first mental hospital in the state was also started during the same period. Sanskrit College, Ayurveda College, Law College and a second grade college for women were started by Moolam Thirunal (1885–1924).
The early 20th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city. The Sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904 was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. Despite not being under direct control of the British Empire at any time, the city however featured prominently in India's freedom struggle. The Indian National Congress had a very active presence in the city. A meeting of the Indian National Congress presided by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was held here in 1938.
The period of Chitira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, who took over in 1931, witnessed many-sided progress. The promulgation of "Temple Entry Proclamation" (1936) was an act that underlined social emancipation. This era also saw the establishment of the University of Travancore in 1937, which later became the Kerala University.
With the end of the British rule in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union. The first popular ministry headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai was installed in office on 24 March 1948. In 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Thiru-Kochi, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with its northern neighbour Kochi. The king of Travancore, Chitira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from July 1, 1949 until October 31, 1956. When the state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of the new state.
With the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962, Thiruvananthapuram became the cradle of India's ambitious space programme. The first Indian space rocket was developed and launched from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) located in the outskirts of the city in 1963. Several establishments of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were later established in Thiruvananthapuram.
A major milestone in the city's recent history was the establishment of Technopark—India's first IT park—in 1995. Technopark has developed into the largest IT Park in India and third largest in Asia, employing around 30,000 people over 195companies. This placed Thiruvananthapuram on the IT map of India and it is today one of the most promising in the country in terms of competitiveness and capability
Thiruvananthapuram, with a tradition dating back to 1000 BC, lies on a small strip of land with plenty of coconut & palm trees.
Thiruvananthapuram is one of the oldest cities in India, with periodic references in many Greek and Roman literatures. However the city's position came forefront when the Venad Dynasty came into power of Southern regions, after the Great Partition of Kerala Empire of Cheras in 14th century. Though Venad rulers had their capital at Kollam (70kms north of Thiruvananthapuram), the town was well considered as a major trading center. The rise of new Venad King, Maharaja Marthanada Varma and subsequently formation of Travancore Kingdom in late 17th century proved a turning point for the city. The Raja, after formation of the kingdom by annexing many small states and feudal principalites, dedicated the entire kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, the presiding deity of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and crowned as Emperor, making the royal family to rule in the name of the lord. This resulted in making Thiruvananthapuram as the capital of new kingdom and the city started growing around the temple. In 19th century, the entire administration was brought to Thiruvananthapuram city from the Royal headquarters of Sree Padmanabhapuram Fort (50kms from Thiruvananthapuram city), which marked completion of first phase of Thiruvananthapuram city.
Travancore was one of the most powerful Indian Princely state during British Raj, with the kingdom becoming 3rd most richest state among native states. Thiruvananthapuram city, under the royal patronage grew into a major academic, cultural hub of India, with many firsts to its credit. The Maharajas always cared to keep their capital, one of the most greenest cities in India, which resulted in many praises for the capital. As the power and wealth of Travancore Kingdom reached its peak during early 20th century, Thiruvananthapuram became a major prosperous city. With independence of India, the Travancore chose to ascend into India Union. After formation of Kerala state in 1957, it was decided to retain Thiruvananthapuram as the capital city.
Being a capital and administrative city, it remains to be one of the hottest political center in Kerala. The 3rd phase of the development came in early 1990s, when Kerala Government decided to establish Technopark- a large IT Park. The growth of Technopark as the largest Information Technology park in South Asia, made a major impetus for the growth of city. Today the city is on focus of making it as major IT/Bio-Technology hub.
The arterial road of Thiruvananthapuram is the MG Road or the Mahatma Gandhi Road which lies in the north-south direction and connects almost all important attractions in the city.
Varkala : Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, is near Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. High cliffs with mineral springs rise majestically from the coastline. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala. The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed for redemption, came to be known as the Papanasham Beach ( Papanasham means redemption from sins). The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature Care Centre are the two main attractions here.
Ponmudi (The Golden Peak): An idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool, green, wooded environs, Ponmudi is located 915 metres above sea level. Along with a variety of beautiful mountain flowers, exotic butterflies, small rivulets, springs and the deer park nearby, this hill station also has excellent trekking trails. It is located 61 km north-east of Trivandrum city at an altitude of 1100 m. It is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea.Ponmudi is connected to Trivandrum by a narrow winding road offering scenic views on the way to Ponmudi. The climate is pleasant year-round. Trivandrum serves as a base for trekking and hiking. There are also tea gardens in the area.
Other attractions near Ponmudi include Golden Valley and a number of rivulets and rapids, some even across the road. The lush forest area has tropical vegetation. A variety of wildlife inhabit the hills. The Golden Valley offers vistas of the hills and access to the Kallar river. Flowing though a wilderness area, it has rounded pebbles, cool water, fish, and lush green trees.
Another attraction in the region is Agasthyarkoodam, one of the highest peaks in the Western Ghats, with the highest peak at 1868 m. This peak is famous for its wilderness, and can be accessed. Meenmutty Falls is also a famous attraction in the area.
Kovalam Beach : This internationally renowned beach resort has been a favorite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as the Lighthouse Beach, is the most popular. Kovalam offers accommodation options to suit all budgets. Kovalam is famous for its beaches, among the most pristine in India. It is about 17 km from Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of the southern state ofKerala in India. Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies. That started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in all India- the Kovalam beach. It is a beautiful place in Kerala. Kovalam is popular region comprising three beaches situated in the state of Kerala in the south of India. The Northern most crescent, (with the different names Main Beach/Leela Beach/Samudra Beach) - is crowded on weekends, is very popular with the locals, day-travelers, and passing-by tourist buses. During the week it's quiet. Hawa Beach in between is among one of the beaches in India where top-less sunbathing is tolerated and well appreciated by the locals. The tourism department provides a vigilant life guard service on both Lighthouse and Hawa beach.
- Varkala - Drive north on the highway for about an hour (55 km). It has a superb beach and cliff front and the usual tourist amenities. The quiet sandy beaches and large lakes of Paravur (65 km from Kovalam) are also close to Varkala and are hidden away. Paravur is a shared secret among those seeking a more peaceful getaway.
- Neyyar Dam ca 1.5 hours by local bus. More convenient is a tour with a taxi and guide. You cross through hilly landscapes, rubber tree plantations and a stunning landscape. There is a wildlife sanctuary with free roaming lions, deer and (caged) indian mugger crocodiles. Close by is an elephant camp in the forest where you can ride an elephant or help washing one. On the way you pass by the Shivanda Ashram..
