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           TRIVANDRUM TRAVEL GUIDE

Trivandrum, is the capital of the state of Kerala and the headquarters of the
Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme
south of the mainland. 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 per the 2001 census, it is the
largest and most populous city in Kerala; the wider urban agglomeration having a
population of about one million.

Thiruvananthapuram literally means "City of Lord Anantha" 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 is the most recognizable
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. However, the city is still widely referred to as
"Trivandrum".

Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BC.
It is believed that the ships of King Solomon landed in a port called Ophir (now
Poovar) in Thiruvananthapuram in 1036 BC. 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. 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 Lunatic Asylum 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 19th century was an age of tremendous political and social changes in the city.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   141.74 km² (55 sq mi)
Elevation           5 m (16 ft)
Climate             Am (Köppen)
Precipitation     1,700 mm (66.9 in)
District(s)         Thiruvananthapuram
Population        744,739 (2001)
Density              5,284/km² (13,685/sq mi)

PLACE TO VISIT

The Napier Museum - Named after a former Madras governor, General John
Napier, this museum is a beautiful building in the museum compound near Kanaka
Kunnu Palace. English architect Chrisholm created this building combining many
architectural styles. This museum displays rare archaeological and historical
artifacts including bronze idols and ivory carvings.(Open 10:00 - 17:00 hrs. closed on
Mondays and before noon Wednesday.)

Sree Chithra Art Gallery - is an art gallery located in the Museum
compound and displays a rare collection of mainly Indian paintings. The main
attractions are paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, Raja raja Varma and Nicholas
Roerich. Also featured are miniature paintings from around the world, Kerala mural
paintings and Tanjore miniature paintings.

The Zoological Park - This is one of the first zoos in India. Situated in the
Museum compound, this area is a rich botanical garden. There is a wide variety of
animals, plants and birds. Not world class, but certainly with its own attraction.
(Open 10.00-17.00 hrs. Closed on Mondays)

Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple - This beautiful temple stands by a tank,
the Padmatheertham. The deity is Vishnu in a rare reclining posture.

The Padmanabhapuram Palace - is entirely made of wood and was the
erstwhile home of the Travancore princes. It is 65 km from Trivandrum City and is
located in the Kanniyakumari district of Tamil Nadu

Shanghumukham Beach - This beach is 8 km outside the city, adjacent to
the airport. Local people flock there to watch the sunset. There is an indoor
recreation club nearby. Matsyakanyaka a gigantic sculpture of a mermaid by Kanai
Kunjiraman arouses mixed reaction. There is also a peaceful temple nearby.

HOW TO REACH

By plane -  Thiruvananthapuram has an international airport with direct flights
from the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka. It is therefore considered
as the doorway to Kerala. It is served by Air-India, Indian (formerly known as "Indian
Airlines"), Silk Air, Gulf Air among others.
* You can also get in via Kochi International Airport and travel to Thiruvananthapuram
by road. It is 4-5 hour journey.

* Alternatively reach Kozhikode (Calicut), Chennai, Bangalore, Bombay, New Delhi,
Kolkata and then reach Thiruvananthapuram by train.

By train - The central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the
city, 8 km from the airport. It is very well connected and serviced by rail to all major
cities in India. Thiruvananthapuram is the first major city along the second longest
train route in the world, Kanyakumari to Jammu.

By bus - The long distance bus station is located next door to the railway station.
Buses ply to all major towns and villages in the state as well as with the big cities
like Cochin, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Chennai. The city bus stand is
located 1 km away at East Fort, near the Padmanabha Swamy Temple. Both state-
run and private short distance buses connect the various important urban and
suburban centres. City bus depots are also located at Peroorkada, Vikas Bhavan,
Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad