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The name of the city
is derived from the
words
 Thiru-Anantha-Puram,
meaning the town of
Anantha.Although no
records of the
antiquity of the
temple really
exists, the temple
nevertheless is
believed to be
several thousands
years old.
Thiruvananthapuram
shot into prominence
in the 18th century
when the capital was
shifted here form
Padmanabhapuram, a
little down south.
The erstwhile kings
of the then
Travancore State,
taking on the title
of Padmanabhadas
(servant of Lord),
had dedicated
themselves
completely to the
service of the Lord
residing in the
temple here. By the
terms of this
dedication, the
deity owns the
kingdom while the
king is the mere
executor of the
trust. After
independence, the
city was designated
as the capital of
Kerala.
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Air : Thiruvananthapuram
international
airport (6 kms from
the city).
Rail :
Thiruvananthapuram
had direct trains to
all the main towns
in Kerala as well as
the major cities in
India.
Road : well
connected to all
towns & cities. |
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Sree Padmanabha
Swamy Temple: |
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The
imposing seven
storied tower makes
it the most
 impressive landmark
in the city. The
temple is an
excellent example of
the dravidian style
of architecture.
There are
innumerable pillars,
intricate carvings,
and mural paintings.
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Veli Lagoon (Tourist
Village): |
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Delightful
waterfront park. An
ideal picnic spot
where the lake
merges with sea. The
wadingpool,gardens,exquisite
sculptures, a
floating bridge and
a wide range of aqua
sports facilities |
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The
Government Art
Museum : |
Formally known as
"Napier Museum" name
dafter a former  Madras Governer
General, John
Napier. It is a gem
of architectural
exuberance, combining
traditional Kerala
styles and good
doses of Chinese and Mughal Influences.
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Sree Chithra Art
Gallary: |
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Has
a rich collection of
paintings of Raja
Ravi Varma and
Roerich.It also has
copies of paintings
of the Ajanta,
Rajput,Mughal and
Tanjore Schools
besides some works
from China,
Japa,Tibet and bali. |
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The
Zoo: |
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Is
one of the best
maintained zoos in
the whole of Asia
and has a beautiful
sprawling lawns. |
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Observatory: |
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Observatory situated
60m above sea level
is located on a hill
near the Museum.It
is one of the oldest
in India. There is a
well laid out garden
in front of the
hill, with a
beautiful rose
collection. |
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Shanghumugham Beach:
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It
is popular city
beach adjacent to
the airport. An
indoor
 recreation
club, children's
traffic training
park and a star
shaped restaurant
are some of the
facilities at the
beach |
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Science and
Technology Museum:
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Located near Mascot
Hotel, the Museum is
of high educative
value for students
of science and
Technology. |
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Kowdiar Palace: |
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home of the late
maharaja Sree
Chithira Thirunal
Bala Rama varma and
his family is off
limits to visitors
but you can have a
glimpse from the
main gate. If a
friendly guard is on
duty, he will let
you walk a bit
inside the grounds
where you can get a
view of the grand
old building at the
end of its long
drive. |
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Peppara Wild Life
Sanctuary: |
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50km from
Thiruvananthapuram,
Peppara is
accessible from
Vithurai on
Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi
Road. This sanctuary
with its rich fauna
and birds is
emerging as a big
attraction to wild
life enthusiasts. It
is spread over an
area of 53 sq.km on
the western ghats.
This is doted with
large hills and
numerous hillocks
with forests and
eucalyptus
plantations.
Elephants, Sambar,
Leopard and Lion
tailed macaque are
commonly seen. |
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Ponmudi : |
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ideal hill resort
situated just 54km
from
Thiruvananthapuram
is an enchanting one
for tourists. Best
accommodation and
restaurant
facilities are
available here |
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Padmanabhapuram
Palace : |
This palace was once
the capital of the
State of
 Travancore
and is 51km from the
city on the way to
Nagarcoil in Tamil
Nadu.The palace
contains 17th and
18th century murals. |
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Neyyar Dam: |
29km from
Thiruvananthapuram
is Neyyar Dam a
picnic
 spot and dam
site. There are
facilities for
boating at the
reservoir. There is
a lion safari park
and crocodile farm. |
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Aruvikkara: |
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16 km north of
Thiruvananthapuram
and gifted with
lavish scenic beauty
is Aruvikkara, with
an ancient temple
dedicated to Durga
on the banks of the
river. |
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Akkulam Boat Club : |
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9 km away from the
town. It is a
popular retreat for
the city dwellers.
The lake has boating
facilities and has
largest children's
Park in Kerala. |
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Thiruvallam : |
Lord Parasuraman's
temple is here by
the river at
Thiruvallam,
Chithranjali, the
State Film
Development
Corporation's studio
is at Thiruvallam.
This is on the
Thiruvananthapuram-Kovalam
route,10km from the
city.
Vizhinjam :
Lying
just 15kms from the
state capital ,that
is a historic spot,
which was left
unnoticed for a long
time. The capital of
Ay-Vel kings of the
8th-9th century, the
only thing that was
withstood time is a
rock temple, as
signed to the period
of the Cheras
because of a strong
influence to the
Pallava Pandya
architecture. The
rock temple is just
a little off the
main junction ,and
is a protected
monument under the
Archeological Survey
of India. |
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