Trivendrum
General Information
Located at the southern-west tip of
India, with an area of 2192 sq kms,
Thiruvananthapuram District is bounded
by the Arabian Sea on the west and Tamil
Nadu on the east. The wooded highlands
on the western ghats in the eastern
and northeastern borders give Thiruvananthapuram
some of the most enchanting picnic spots.
A long shoreline with internationally
renowned beaches, historic monuments,
backwater stretches and a rich cultural
heritage make this district a much sought
after tourist destination. This is Thiruvananthapuram,
the capital of Kerala.
It is believed to be one of the most
cleanest and well-planned cities of
India. Built over seven hills, this
mesmerizing scenic beauty stays afresh
in the hearts of tourists. It was constructed
in 1733 by the then Maharaja of Travancore.
It is termed as the 'City of the Sacred
Snakes' after the thousand headed serpent
from Hindu mythology, Anantha. Visitors
will have a gala time in Trivandrum,
trying to explore the unexploited beaches,
the sacred temples and the enchanting
backwaters. It is fun to have a stroll
through the narrow winding streets of
the city.
.
Main
Sightseeing of Trivendrum
The Secretariat House :
It is also located close
by and is built in the Roman architectural
style. This forms the centre of government
administration in Kerala and houses
the offices of ministers and the bureaucracy.
The Kerala Legislature Complex
: It is situated at Palayam.
It is a new building where the Legislative
Assembly of Kerala meets. Possessing
a towering dome and exquisitely carved
galleries, ornate teak paneling and
ceiling, combined with the most modern
acoustic treatment and state-of-the-art
sound systems, it houses a hall which
is a beautiful blend of classical
grandeur and modernity.
Kanakakunnu Palace :
Its sprawling grounds are today the
the venue for many cultural meets
and programmers. For further details,
please contact : 314615. Another attraction
here is the
Padmanabha Swamy Temple :
Located inside the east fort, this
fascinating temple is dedicated to
Lord Vishnu. The temple portrays both
Kerala and the Dravidian styles of
architecture. The mural paintings
and the stone-carvings here are intricate
and worth a dekko. The deity reclines
on Anantha, the holy serpent. This
is one among the 108 sacred Vishnu
temples. Only Hindus are allowed to
enter the temple and they too have
to strictly follow the dress code,
which is dhoti for the men and a saree
for the women. The temple remains
open from 4:15 am - 5:15 am, 6:45
am - 730 am, 8:30 am - 10:30 am, 11:30
am - 11:45 am, 5:15 pm - 7:30 pm.
Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika)
Palace Museum : Maharaja
Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the
King of Travancore, built this magnificent
palace. He was a great poet, musician,
social reformer and statesman. The
palace, built in the traditional Travancore
style of architecture depicts excellent
craftsmanship and possesses exquisite
wood carvings. The palace museum has
on display, enchanting paintings and
other priceless collections of the
royal family. This place is located
near the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
. The palace remains open from 8:30
am - 12:30 pm & 3:30 pm - 5:30
pm and is closed on Mondays.
Napier Museum : Built
in the 19th century, the Indo-Saracenic
structure houses a rare collection
of archaeological and historic artifacts,
bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a
temple chariot and ivory carvings.
The use of plastic is banned in the
museum premises. This place is open
for visitors from 10:00 am - 5:00
pm and remains closed on Mondays &
Wednesday forenoons.
Shree Chirtra Art Gallery
: This place lies in the
proximity of the Napier Museum. It
displays select paintings of Raja
Ravi Verma, Svetlova and Nicholas
Roerich and exquisite works from the
Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools
of art in India. The rare collection
of this art gallery also includes
paintings from China, Japan, Tibet
and Bali. Timings : This place is
open for visitors from 10:00 am -
5:00 pm and remains closed on Mondays
& Wednesday forenoons.
Nalukettu : This
building with slanting roofs and a
courtyard set up by the Department
of Archeology. The Folklore Museum
houses musical instruments, occupational
implements, household utensils, models
of folk arts etc. Observatory : It
is located at the highest point in
the city, near the Museum complex
60 meters above sea level. From here,
one can have a bird's eye view of
the city.
Zoological Park :
This place can be called as one of
the first zoos in India. It is strategically
placed in a well-planned botanical
garden. With huge trees like frangipani
and jacaranda dotting the sprawling
lawns and wild fowl swimming in the
lake, it is like a small jungle in
the heart of the city. It also plays
abode to a reptile house with different
species of snakes. Timings : This
place is open for visitors from 10:00
am - 5:00 pm and remains closed on
Mondays.
Akkulam Tourist Village
: This is anideal picnic
spot for all, open for visitors from
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, it offers boating
facilities and also has a well equipped
children's park and a paddle pool.
A swimming pool for adults is also
present here.
Veli Tourist Village :
This picnic spot, open for tourists
from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, where the
Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea, offers
boating facilities. Pedal boats and
and paddle boats can be hired to explore
the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely
manner. For a quick ride over the
waters, speedboats are available for
hire. Children enjoy climbing over
the huge sculptures which dot the
landscape. .
Go to Top
Excursions
from Trivendrum
Shanmugham Beach
: It is just 8 kms from the
city and forms an ideal retreat for
sunset watchers. The beach lies adjacent
to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and
Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation
club, the matsya kanya (a gigantic,
35m long sculpture of a mermaid) and
a restaurant shaped like a starfish
are some of the few eye catchers present
here.
Thiruvallam (10 km) :
is a serene backwater stretch, on the
way to Kovalam. It is well-known for
the canoe rides that it has to offer.
For further details, please contact
:
Aruvikkara Dam (16 km) :
is a picturesque picnic spot on the
banks of the Karamana river.
Neyyar Dam (32km) :
is a popular picnic spot and houses
a watch tower, a crocodile farm, lion
safari park and deer park. Boating facilities
are also available at the reservoir.
Kovalam Beach (16km) :
is an internationally renowned beach
resort and has been the favourite haunt
for the tourists. It envelopes three
adjacent crescent beaches, the most
popular being the Lighthouse Beach.
Varkala (40km) : is
a seaside resort and a spa and is also
famous as an important Hindu pilgrimage
centre. High cliffs with mineral springs
rise majestically from the coastline.
Two major attractions here are the 2000
year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple
and the Nature Care Centre.
Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave (17km)
: comprises of rock cut sculptures
of the18th century, situated in the
cave temple. The granite cave encloses
a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture
of Vinandhara Dakshinamurthi, the outer
wall of the cave depicts half complete
relics of the Hindu God Shiva with Goddess
Parvathi.
Koyikkal Palace, Nedumangad
(18km) : is located on the
way to the Ponmudi hill station and
the Courtallam waterfalls. Dating back
to the 15th century, it plays abode
to a double-storeyed traditional
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
(50km) : Spread over 53 sq
km on the Western Ghats, is accessible
from Vithurai, on the way to Ponmudi.
Rich in flora and fauna Peppara looks
serene and beautiful with hillocks,
forests and eucalyptus plantations and
forms a virtual treat to the eyes.
Ponmudi Hills (61km) :
is an idyllic hill resort with winding
paths and cool, wooded environs. Located
915 meters above sea level, you come
across a deer park nearby and this place
has in store for you, excellent trekking
trails.
Padmanabhapuram Palace (63km)
: forms the seat of the rulers
of Travancore. Situated at Thuckalai,
on the way to Kanyakumari, this is a
well preserved wooden palace displaying
extraordinary murals, exquisite floral
carvings and the black glossy granite
floor.
Agasthyakoodam : It
forms a part of the Sahyadri mountain
range and is the second highest peak
in Kerala (1890 metres). This place
is rich in rare medicinal herbs and
plants and brilliantly hued orchids.
Also called a bird watcher's paradise,
this legendary mountain is accessible
by foot from Kotoor, near Neyyar Dam,
as also from Bonacaud. Trekking can
also be done here preferably from December
to April, but a forest pass has to be
acquired for the same from the Wildlife
Warden, Forest Department, PTP Nagar,
Thiruvananthapuram. .
How
to reach Trivendrum?
By Air : Thiruvananthapuram
has an international airport that gets
traffic from the Gulf countries, Sri
Lanka and Maldives. It is well connected
by domestic flights from various parts
of the country.
By Train : Thiruvananthapuram
is a major junction of Southern Railway.
By Road : Very good
road connectivity for major cities of
South India. Daily buses run by the
state Transport Corporation to any place
of note in Kerala..
