Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram (/ˌtɪruːvəˌnʌntəˈpʊərəm/; Malayalam: [t̪iɾuʋɐnɐn̪d̪ɐpuɾɐm] (audio speaker iconlisten)), also known by its former name Trivandrum /trɪˈvændrəm/,[8] is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011.[3] The encompassing urban agglomeration population is around 1.68 million.[5] Located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland, Thiruvananthapuram is a major information technology hub in Kerala and contributes 55% of the state's software exports as of 2016.[9][10] Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India",[11][1] the city is characterised by its undulating terrain of low coastal hills.[12] The present regions that constitute Thiruvananthapuram were ruled by the Ays who were feudatories of the Chera dynasty.[13] In the 12th century, it was conquered by the Kingdom of Venad.[13] In the 18th century the king Marthanda Varma expanded the territory and founded the princely state of Travancore and made Thiruvananthapuram its capital

Tourist Destinations

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It is considered as the richest place of worship in the world. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta", (The City Of Lord Vishnu) [1] referring to the deity of the Padmanabhaswamy temple. The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Chera style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century gopura.[2][3] While the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla in Kasaragod is considered as the original seat of the deity ("Moolasthanam"), architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar.[4] The principal deity Padmanabhaswamy (Vishnu) is enshrined in the "Anantha Shayana" posture, the eternal yogic sleep on the infinite serpent Adi Shesha.[5]Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the royal family of Travancore. The titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, is the trustee of the temple.

Kovalam Beach

ovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse. Sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programmes and catamaran cruising are some of them. The tropical sun acts so fast that one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of minutes. Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the night. The beach complex includes a string of budget cottages, Ayurvedic health resorts, convention facilities, shopping zones, swimming pools, Yoga and Ayurvedic massage centres.

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in India. Similarly the Museum and Botanical Gardens are also one of the oldest of their kind in the country. Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1816–1846), the ruler of Travancore during 1830–1846, was the visionary behind the establishment of the Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Zoo. He had a broad variety of animals, including elephants in his horse breeding centre. In the Trivandrum, stables he incorporated a menagerie and kept tigers, panthers cheetahs, deer, bears and a lioness there. It was however left to his brother Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma and the then British Resident General Cullen which resulted in the establishment of Napier Museum and Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram.