Thiruvananthapuram

About

Thiruvananthapuram is characterized by its royal heritage, palaces and its pristine countryside. The beauty of the city is still intact, in the wide, open avenues, parks, gardens, cultural institutions and undulating countryside.The most prominent science and technology institute, the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is based here. India’s first Information Technology Park “Techno Park” came up in 1955 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Modern history begins with Marthananda Verma, regarded as the Father of Modern Travencore. He made Thiruvananthapuram his capital. Thiruvananthapuram was a great centre of intellectual and artistic activities in those days.

The city derives its name from the deity at the Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswami Temple, one of the major landmarks. The name is derived from the words Thiru-Anantha-Puram, meaning the town of Anantha.

In 1956, when the state of Kerala was formed, Thiruvananthapuram was again chosen as the capital.

Religious Places

Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple:

A visit to the Padmanabha Swamy temple is a must. It is one of the 108 sacred Lord Vishnu temples in India. The city derived its name from this temple. It is located in the East Fort. The temple has a strict dress code – dhoti for men and sari blouse for women.

The Temple Timings: 0415 - 0515 hrs, 0645 - 0715 hrs, 0830 - 1115 hrs, 1145 -1200 hrs, 1700 - 1815 hrs, 1845- 1930 hrs.

Transportation

Both government and private bus services are available in the city area. You can travel by a private bus, where there are designated areas for men and women passengers. There's a kind of competition among these private buses as they race to their destinations to get there first. State transport buses on the other hand do not have any such designations and allow a more free seating.

for online booking (Govt):

https://online.keralartc.com/oprs-web/

Culture

The city of Thiruvananthapuram has been the centre of cultural activities of Kerala (India) from the time it was made capital of Travancore in 1745. The capital city is a major intellectual and artistic center. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Thiruvananthapuram Zoo were started during the reign of Swathi Thirunal(1813?1847) and are one of the oldest of their kind in India.[1] The city's libraries include the British Library and Trivandrum Public library, which was started in 1829.[2] The 'Swathi Thirunal College of Music' and 'College of fine arts' are the leading institutions related to music and arts. The people of Thiruvananthapuram are sometimes referred to as "Trivandrumites".

Getting there

By Air

The international airport is 6km southwest of town with flights from all the metros and other cities of India as well as Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Middle East.

By Rail

Trains are one of the best modes of travel to reach Trivandrum which is a major railway station with trains from many cities of India. Trivandrum is also well connected to the major destinations of Kerala by rail.

By Road

Trivandrum connects with most cities of Kerala like Kochi, Kumarakom by an extensive road network. It can also be reached from other cities like Bangalore and Chennai.

Attractions

There are vast number tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram that you can visit while you are visiting Thiruvananthapuram. Some of the major attractions in Thiruvananthapuram are as follows:

Snake boat races

The annual snake boat races are a major attraction. They are held at Aranmula, 128 kms from Thiruvananthapuram during the second week of August as part of the Parthasarthy Temple festival.

The Great Elephant Race

This is not exactly a local festival. It is a four-day-long extravaganza arranged by Kerala Tourism which ends in Thiruvananthapuram. 101 caparisoned elephants start marching from Thrissur on January 17th every year and reach Thiruvananthapuram on the fourth day with a stop over at Kochi and Alappuzha. Tourists can have glimpses of Kerala culture by watching the boat races and folk art performances that are arranged during this period.

Onam

Kerala's most important festival is celebrated in honour of the ancient Asura king Mahabali. During Onam, the harvest festival that falls in August/September, every home in Kerala is decorated with floral decorations in the courtyard. It is special day when people partake of sumptuous lunch at homes and restaurants. A major attraction of the Onam celebrations is the famed snake boat races along the backwaters at Champakulam, Aranmula and Kottayam.

The Kanakakunnu Palace

The Kanakakunnu Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings located in the heart of the city The palace and its sprawling grounds serve as the venue for many cultural meets.

Shankhumugham Beach

About 8 kms from the city, the beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and Veli Tourist Village. The attractions are a recreation club, the matsya kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a starfish.

Ayurvedic treatment

A major attraction of the city is the ancient, time-tested system of Indian medicine-ayurvedic treatment. This ancient, time-tested system of Indian medicine is a major attraction in the city. Ayurveda offers you two kinds of holiday options, rejuvenative and therapeutic.

Festivals

Onam

Kerala's most important festival is Onam which is celebrated in honour of the ancient Asura king Mahabali. Each and every Malayalee across the globe celebrates the harvest festival of Onam.

Snake Boat Races

The famed snake boat races along the backwaters at Champakulam, Aranmula and Kottayam is one of the major attractions of onam.

Vishu

Vishu is the traditional Malayalee new year. The hue for the festival is yellow. There is a feeling that the land too is celebrating as the cassia trees lining the roads bloom with bright yellow flowers during this season. In the evening a burst of crackers lights up the sky.

The Great Elephant Race

Landmarks

Important landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram are as follows:

Gandhi Statue
Nehru Statue
Alliance Francaise
Joan of Arc statue
Raj Niwas

Best Time to Visit

Winter (October to January) is the ideal time to be here. It is pleasant and the temperature hovers around 22 to 32 degree Celsius. The city gets rainfall in October which recedes by November. The evenings bring with it showers that breaks the warm and sunny spell of the afternoons.

Monsoon (June to September) are also a good time to visit as the weather is pleasant though it could get a little wet.

Quick Facts

Location

Kerala’s capital, the coastal city of Thiruvananthapuram still more popularly known as Trivandrum lies on seven low hills, 87km from the southern tip of India.

STD code

+91 is the country code and O471 is the Thiruvananthapuram city dialing STD code..