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Overview
 Located at the southwestern tip of India,
Trivandrum 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
Trivandrum some of the most enchanting picnic spots. A long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage makes this district a much sought after tourist destination.
Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala.
Area: 2192 sq. kilometers
Population: 2,938,583 (1991 census)
Altitude: Sea level
Telephone access code: ++91-471
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Arrival & Departure
Air:
Trivandrum International Airport (6 km from the city) has over 30 air links with convenient connections to Colombo, Maldives and the Middle East. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate domestic flights to different parts of the country.
Rail: There are direct trains from Trivandrum to all the main towns in Kerala as well as the major cities in India.
Road: Long distance buses operate from the Central Bus Station at
Thampanoor, opposite the Railway Station. Short distance buses operate from the City Bus Station, East Fort.
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Sights & Attractions
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Padmanabha Swamy Temple: (Open: 0415 - 0515 hrs, 0645 - 0730 hrs, 0830 - 1030 hrs, 1130 - 1145 hrs, 1715 - 1930 hrs). The temple is located inside the East Fort. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. It is known for its mural paintings and stone carvings. One among the 108 sacred Vishnu temples in India, the presiding deity in here is Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha the Holi Serpent. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. Dress code: Men - Dhoti; Women - Sari and blouse Ph: 450233
• Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum: (Open 0830 - 1230 hrs & 1530 - 1730 hrs. Closed on Mondays.) The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma - the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. This rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture also has exquisite woodcarvings. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family and is located near the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
Museum Complex
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The Napier Museum: (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs. Closed on Mondays & Wednesday forenoons) Built in the 19th century, the Indo - Saracenic structure boasts a "natural" air conditioning system and 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.
• Sree Chithra Art
Gallery: (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs. Closed on Mondays & Wednesday forenoons) Located near the Napier Museum, this art gallery displays select paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, Svetlova and Nicholas Roerich and exquisite works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of art in India. The collection also includes paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali.
• The Zoological
Park: (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs. Closed on Mondays.) One of the first zoos in India, it is located 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. A reptile house with different species of snakes is also located in the premises.
• The Kanakakunnu
Palace: The palace and its sprawling grounds are today the venue for many cultural meets and
programs.
• Science and Technology Museum
Complex: (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs. Closed on Mondays.) The exhibits here are related to science, technology and electronics.
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Shankhumugham Beach: Just 8 km from the city, this is a favorite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is adjacent to the
Trivandrum Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation club, the 'matsya kanyaka' (a gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a starfish are some of the attractions here. Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park here provides opportunity for children to learn the traffic rules.
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Observatory: Located at the highest point in the city, near the Museum complex 60
meters above sea level, one can have a bird's eye view of the city from here.
• Secretariat: Built in the Roman architectural style, this is the
center of government administration in Kerala and houses the offices of ministers and the bureaucracy.
• Kerala Legislature
Complex: Located at Palayam, this is the new building where the Legislative Assembly of Kerala meets. With its towering dome, exquisitely carved galleries, ornate teak paneling and ceiling, combined with the most modern acoustic treatment and state-of-the-art sound systems, the hall is a beautiful blend of classical grandeur and modernity.
• Veli Tourist
Village: (Open 0800 - 1800 hrs) This picnic spot, where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea, offers boating facilities. Pedal boats and paddleboats 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.
• Akkulam Tourist
Village: (Open 1000 - 1700 hrs). A picnic spot with boating facilities, Akkulam is a place children flock to. It has a well-equipped children's park and a paddle pool. There is a swimming pool for adults too.
Tours from Trivandrum city
• Thiruvallam (10 km): This serene backwater stretch, enroute to Kovalam, is famous for its canoe rides.
• Aruvikkara Dam (16 km - 1/2 hour): This picturesque picnic spot is on the banks of the Karamana river. Near the Durga Temple here is a stream full of fish that fearlessly come close to the shore to be fed by the visitors.
• Kovalam Beach (16 km - 1/2 hour): This internationally renowned beach resort has been a favorite haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as the Lighthouse Beach, is the most popular. Kovalam offers accommodation options to suit all budgets.
• Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave (17 km - 1/2 hour): There are rock-cut sculptures of the 18th century in the cave temple at Vizhinjam. The granite cave here 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 (18 km - 1/2 hour): Located on the way to the Ponmudi hill station and the Courtallam waterfalls, this ancient palace dates back to the 15th century. Here you can see a double storied traditional Nalukettu building with slanting gabled roofs, an inner courtyard and museums of folklore and numismatics set up by the Department of Archeology.
The Folklore Museum set up in 1992 is a treasure house of quaint musical instruments, occupational implements, household utensils, models of folk arts etc. Displayed in the Koyikkal Palace, they focus attention on the cultural background of the State.
The Numismatics Museum houses rare and historically valuable coins denoting the trade relations of the State.
• Sree Mahadeva
Temple: Situated in Kazhakuttom, this ancient temple is believed to date back to the 14th century. Another old temple in the district is the Mitramandapuram Temple on the outskirts of the city.
• Neyyar Dam (32 km - 1 hour): A popular picnic spot, Neyyar Dam has a watch tower, crocodile farm, lion safari park and deer park. Boating facilities are available at the reservoir.
• Varkala (40 km - 1 1/2 hours): Varkala is a seaside resort and spa. It is also an important Hindu
center of pilgrimage. The final resting place of the great social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, is near Varkala, atop a hill called Sivagiri. High cliffs with mineral springs rise majestically from the coastline. According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (cloth made of the bark of a tree) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala. The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed for redemption came to be known as the Papanasham Beach (Papanasham means redemption from sins). The 2000-year-old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and the Nature Care
Center are the two main attractions here.
• Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary (50 km from Thiruvananthapuram): This sanctuary spread over 53 sq. km on the Western Ghats, is accessible from Vithurai, which is on the way to Ponmudi. With its rich flora and fauna, Peppara, dotted with hillocks, forests and eucalyptus plantations, is emerging as a great attraction for wildlife enthusiasts.
• Ponmudi (61 km - 2 1/2 hours): An idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool, green, wooded environs, Ponmudi is located 915 meters above sea level. Along with a variety of beautiful mountain flowers, exotic butterflies, small rivulets, springs and the deer park nearby, this hill station also has excellent trekking trails.
• Padmanabhapuram Palace (63 km - 2 1/2 hours. Closed on Mondays): The seat of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore, this splendid palace is situated at Thuckalai, on the way to Kanyakumari. This is a well-preserved wooden palace, a glorious testimony to the traditional Kerala School of architecture. The extraordinary murals, exquisite floral carvings and the black glossy granite floor have withstood the test of time.
• Agasthyakoodam: Part of the Sahyadri range of mountains, Agasthyakoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala, at a height of 1890 meters above sea level. Teeming with wildlife, the forests of Agasthyakoodam abound in rare medicinal herbs and plants and brilliantly hued orchids. A bird watcher's paradise, this legendary mountain is accessible by foot from Kotoor, near Neyyar Dam, as also from Bonacaud. The season from December to April is advocated for trekking, for which a forest pass has to be obtained from the Wildlife Warden, Forest Department, PTP Nagar, Trivandrum.
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Festivals
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Onam (August/September): Onam is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of Kerala, and it commemorates the legendary rule of King Mahabali, during which time the people were so happy that it aroused the jealousy of the gods.
• Arattu: The vetta and arattu processions are held twice a year from the Padmanabhaswamy Temple to Shanghumugham Beach led by the members of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore. The idols from the temple are subjected to a ritual purification in the sea. Cultural performances, including Kathakali, are staged during the occasion.
• Attukal
Pongala: The ten day Pongala festival held at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, 2 km from Thiruvananthapuram, attracts thousands of female devotees from many parts of the country. Men are not allowed in the vicinity of the temple during the Pongala. Pongala is a kind of sweet porridge, considered to be the goddess' favorite offering. It is cooked by each devotee in a clay pot on an open fire and the long line of women making the ritual offering extends up to East Fort and beyond.
• Chandanakudam
Maholsavam: This colorful Islamic festival is celebrated to commemorate Bee Umma, a saintly lady, whose tomb is in Beemapally near Thiruvananthapuram. Devotees bring money in pots decorated with flowers, incense sticks and sandalwood paste, as an offering during the festival.
• Nishagandhi Dance and Music Festival (22 - 27 February): This festival of Indian classical dances and music is held at the Nishagandhi open-air theatre, Kanakakunnu Palace grounds, Thiruvananthapuram. Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Odissi etc specially choreographed ballet combining one or more of these classical dance forms Classical music (instrumental and vocal) Jugalbandi (concertos) are performed in the evenings.
• Gramam (the Kerala village fair), Kovalam (14 - 23 January): An entire Kerala village is recreated on the beach, during this ten day long festival. The traditional nalukettu (the quadrangular upper class house with a central open courtyard) and its premises become the venue of the fair, where the culture, arts and crafts of Kerala come alive. Festival highlights: Arts and crafts fair, Kathakali, Thiruvathirakali, Mohiniattam, Oppana,
Kalaripayattu, Sarpapattu, Theyyam, Kummattikali, Kakkarisi nadakam, Panchavadyam Chakyarkoothu and Ottanthullal
• Flavor Food Festival (5 - 11 April): Renowned hotels from across Kerala participate in this weeklong international festival of the various cuisines of the world held at the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds,
Trivandrum.
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