Trivandrum City Guide
Travel Trivandrum, on the southwest coast of India, is the capital to the state of Kerala. Tour Trivandrum, the that city derives its name from the deity at the Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple
Trivandrum, the capital of beautiful Kerala lies in the southwest coast of India. The city is officially known as Thiruvananthapuram. The city gets its name from the word, Thiruvananthapuram, meaning the city of Anantha or the abode of the sacred Serpent Anantha on which Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu trinity, reclines. Trivandrum is a beautiful seaside city built on seven hills. The city of Trivandrum has a prominent history. Trade had started in the place as far back as 190 AD. It was the capital of the erstwhile Travancore state. After independence, it was made the capital of Kerala.
Stretching along the southern coast of country with the backwaters of Arabian sea reaching deep into the lush countryside, visiting Kerala is truly a fascinating experience. Being a coastal city, Trivandrum has a tropical climate. Although the place encounters sultry climate during summer, tourists start flocking in from moonsoon onwards. The temperature becomes very soothing during winters.
Trivandrum - An Alluring City
Trivandrum is sprawling over seven hills covered with English government buildings side-by-side local traditional wooden houses in this seaside capital city. True to its composite and cosmopolitan character, the capital city's attractions comprises of museums, art galleries, temples and zoos. With a seven stotreyed Gopuram, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple is the most famous site of the capital city.
The city is one of the busiest harbors in the country and a major business center. To explore the backwaters of Kerala and the rest of southern most region of India, Thiruvananthapuram is best the place to be in.
Must Visit Places In and Around Trivandrum
Thiruvallam : This serene backwater stretch, enroute to Kovalam, is famous for its canoe rides.
Aruvikkara Dam : This picturesque picnic spot is on the banks of the Karamana river. Near the Durga Temple here is a stream full of fish that fearlessly come close to the shore to be fed by the visitors.
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.
The Zoological Park : One of the first zoos in India, it is located in a well-planned botanical garden.
Science and Technology Museum Complex : The exhibits here are related to science, technology and electronics.
Shankhumugham Beach : Just 8 km from the city, this is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers.
Observatory : Located at the highest point in the city, near the Museum complex 60 metres above sea level, one can have a bird's eye view of the city from here.
Secretariat : Built in the Roman architectural style, this is the centre of government administration in Kerala and houses the offices of ministers and the bureaucracy.
Veli Tourist Village : This picnic spot, where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea, offers boating facilities.
Akkulam Tourist Village : A picnic spot with boating facilities, Akkulam is a place children flock to. It has a well equipped children's park and a paddle pool. There is a swimming pool for adults too.
Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave : There are rock cut sculptures of the 18th century in the cave temple at Vizhinjam. The granite cave here encloses a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinandhara Dakshinamurthi. The outer wall of the cave depicts half complete reliefs of the Hindu God Shiva with Goddess Parvathi.
Sree Mahadeva Temple : Situated in Kazhakuttom, this ancient temple is believed to date back to the 14th century. Another old temple in the district is the Mitramandapuram Temple on the outskirts of the city.
Neyyar Dam : A popular picnic spot with a watch tower, crocodile farm, lion safari park and deer park. Boating facilities are available at the reservoir.
Padmanabhapuram Palace : The seat of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore, this splendid palace is situated at Thuckalai, on the way to Kanyakumari. This is a well preserved wooden palace, a glorious testimony to the traditional Kerala school of architecture.
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.
Agasthyakoodam : Part of the Sahyadri range of mountains, Agasthyakoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala, at a height of 1890 metres above sea level.
Festivals of Thiruvananthapuram
Onam is the main festival of Thiruvananthapuram, which is celebrated in the month of August or September. This is the harvest festival of Thiruvananthapuram and signifies association of the people with agriculture. Christmas is the other festival of this part of the country and Thiruvananthapuram wears a colourful look during this time of the year. Classical Music Festival is celebrated from January 27 to February 3 every year and is a great time to enjoy for the lovers of pure classical music forms such as Carnatic and Hindustani music in Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Climate
Due of its close proximity to the sea, the climate of Trivandrum is tropical. This also gives Trivandrum a very pleasant weather round the year. The average maximum temperature can go up to 36.2°C in summer months and to a minimum of 18.0 C in the winters. Monsoon comes to Trivandrum in the month of May and remains there until November. The best time to visit Thiruvananthapuram is between the months of September and May.
Accommodation
Some of the major hotels in Thiruvananthapuram, offering an impressive blend of tradition and modernity are The Muthoot Plaza, Hotel Lucia, The Residency Tower, The Travancore Heritage, MGM Tourist Home, etc.
