THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area	74 sq. km.
District Population	5,23,733
Temperature	Mean Max. - 36.2 deg. C Mean Min. - 18 deg. C
Clothing	Tropical Cottons
Altitude	Sea level
Rain Fall	170 cm (May to November)
Tourist Season	September to May

Thiruvananthapuram, also known as Trivandrum, was the erstwhile capital of Travancore and is the State Capital today. This sprawling city is built on seven hills, and it is known better for its famous beach resort, at Kovalam (11km. away), recognised to be amongst the ten best in the world. Thiruvananthapuram, 'the place of the sacred serpent'  takes its name from the idol of God Vishnu in the magnificent Padmanabhaswamy Temple as he reclines on the world - supporting serpent, 'Anantha' or 'Adisesha'. Today, its splendid past is to be seen in its old buildings, most of them built in wood in the Kerala style, with tiled roofs and carved gables; in its botanical garden and Zoo with its quaint museum; in its wide roads and public buildings; and in its lively intellectual life. Some of Kerala's leading film makers, poets and writers live here. Trivandrum has an international airport, good shopping areas and a variety of comfortable and reasonably priced hotels. 

HOW TO GET THERE:

Air	Trivandrum Airport (International) is linked by flights to Cochin, Chennai, Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. International flights also operate to Colombo, Mali, Dubai, Abudhabi and Kuwait.
Rail	Trivandrum Central Railway Station.
Road	It is connected by road with important cities in the country.

PLACES OF INTEREST:

Veli Lagoon

2 km from Trivandrum Airport, the Veli Tourist Village, on the outskirts of Trivandrum, is a delightful waterfront park, which has become extremely popular with Keralites. It is a nice place for tourists with young children to spend an afternoon. There are lots for the kids to do -   they can meet many of their young Keralite counterparts, all of whom will be eager to make new friends and try out their English.

The main attraction at Veli is water - a large inland lake, separated from the ocean by only a narrow sandbar. Rides  in motor-driven safari launches and power boats or a drift  about in a pedal-boat or a row boat would cost only a few rupees for a family. There are Kayaks, and even hovercraft, for the more intrepid. While skimming over the lake, visitors will see the local fishermen readying their boats, working on their nets, or poling sand-laden barges.

There is a floating bridge and a floating restaurant too. Boat rides are available, everyday, until 6.00p.m., after which, the lake reverts to the sole use of fishermen. For very small children, there is a tiny lake within the park, with sturdy, round "tub boats", equipped with miniature paddles. A small cafeteria serves ice-cream, cool drinks and snacks. The grounds are dotted with interesting climbing sculptures, designed by the well-known sculptor Kanai Kunjiraman.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Napier Museum It is an absolute gem of architectural exuberance, combining traditional Kerala styles with good doses of Chinese and Mughal influences. The 19th century English architect, Chisholm, threw in a few touches and ended up with a building that is guaranteed to leave you smiling at its electric charm.

Shri Chitra Art Gallery

Next to the museum, this is in a smaller, traditional building. It houses the collections of the Travancore ruling family,  including an interesting assortment of turn-of-the-century Bengali school paintings, Rajasthani and Mughal miniatures,Tanjore paintings, and a selection of works by a Russian emigrant, Svetosku Roerich and by Kerala's favorite artist son, Raja Ravi Varma. The latter's works include a number of portraits of maharajahs and their families, British residents and distinguished individuals.

Padmanabhapuram Palace The legendary kings of Venad ruled from this magnificent 16th century wooden palace. The Padmanabhapuram Palace, 60 kilometers from Trivandrum, is now within the State of Tamil Nadu. Once the traditional home of the royal family of Travancore,  it is maintained by the Kerala government.  The palace is one of the best examples of the traditional wooden architecture of Kerala.

Such stately homes were decorated with carved wooden ceilings, curved and slatted shuttered windows, intricate interlocking beams for the roof, sculpted door panels and pagoda like tiled roofs. Intricate carvings and murals and exquisite wall paintings reflect the prolific talent of the sculptors and painters of the olden times.

Located 18 km from Trivandrum on the way to the Ponmudi hill station and the Kuttalam waterfalls, this ancient place that dates back to the 15th century, is famous in the history of Kerala as the official residence of Perakom Thavazhi  (the maternal lineage), especially of Umayamma Rani of the Venad royal family. Here you can see a double storeyed traditional Nalukettu building with slanting gabled roofs, an inner courtyard and two museums of folklore and numismatics set up by the Department of Archaeology.

Koyikkal Palace

Ponmudi A quaint little hill station tucked away in the Western Ghats, Ponmudi is at an altitude of 1100 ft. above sea level. Lush green woods, lazily meandering streams and countless varieties of butterflies lend a strange magic to Ponmudi. Ponmudi is a panorama of pristine beauty cloaked in mist.

Vizhinjam It is one of the ancient ports of Kerala. Vizhinjam is about 2 kms. south of Kovalam. A modern fishing harbour with a light house has been developed here. The Europeans, the Portuguese and the Dutch had commercial establishments here.

Tourist Village At Akkulam Akkulam is one of the first picnic spots in the suburbs of Trivandrum City. This place is only 10 kilometers away from the Central Railway Station. The spot is developed on the banks of Akkulam Kayal lake, which is an extension of the Veli Kayal lake. The calm and serene atmosphere and its unique natural beauty  fascinates tourists. Other attractions include a Boat Club, Swimming Pool, Children's Park and a Snack Bar.