Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – The land of lush greenary, famous for the mesmerizing Kovalam Beach
Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala is famous for the mesmerizing Kovalam Beach. Bound by the Arabian Sea in the west and Tamil Nadu in the east the place is named after Anantha Padmanabha or Lord Vishnu. The city is home to many ancient temples. Thiruvananthapuram is bestowed with immense greenery. This place is also an ideal picnic spot. The wooded highlands of the Western ghats in the background make the place even more panoramic. The cleanliness and the greenery of the place are an attracts many tourists throughout the year.
Places to see in Thiruvanthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram is dotted with a number of sight seeing locations.
Padmanabha Swamy Temple
This temple is Dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The architecture is a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture located inside the East Fort. One among rare Vishnu temples in, the presiding deity here is of Lord Vishnu reclining on Anantha the Serpent. The temple is a place for art lovers and is also known for its mural paintings and stone carvings.
Agasthyakoodam
Agasthyakoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala and is also a part of Sahyadri range of mountains, at a height of 1890 metres above sea level. Teeming with wildlife, the forests of Agasthyakoodam abound in rare medicinal herbs and plants and brilliantly hued orchids. A bird watchers 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.
Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Museum
This is a rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture. It is also known for exquisite wood carvings and was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma – the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family and is located near the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple .
Padmanabhapuram Palace
The magnificent palace is situated at Thuckalai, on the way to Kanyakumari which once the seat of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore. 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.
Veli Tourist Village
This picnic spot, where the Veli Lake meets the Arabian Sea , offers boating facilities. Pedal 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.
Ponmudi
An ideal hill station with meandering path and cool, green, wooded environment, Ponmudi is located 915 metres above the 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.
Napier Museum
The NapierMuseum is another tourist spot in Thiruvananthapuram which has a good collection of bronzes, ivory carvings, ancient musical instruments and life-size figures of Kathakali dancers. The art collection at the SriChitraArtGallery contains paintings of the Mughal, Tanjore and Rajput schools and a special section, devoted exclusively to the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. There are, also, works of art from , Bali, and . The Zoological Gardens are, said to be, among the well-planned zoos in Asia . The Botanical Garden within the zoo consist of almost every tropical tree existing. The Observatory, located on the highest point of the city, is one of the impressive architectural landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala Legislature Complex
Located at Palayam, this is the new building where the Legislative Assembly of Kerala located. With its towering dome, exquisitely carved galleries, ornate teak panelling 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.
Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave
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 reliefs of the Hindu God Shiva with Goddess Parvathi.
Varkala
Varkala is a land of seaside resort and spa. It is a renowned Hindu centre 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 Centre are the two main attractions here.
Nearby attractions from Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram also offers many nearby tourist destinations which are worth a visit apart from sight seeing.
Aruvippuram
Located 24 km from Kollam, attracts numerous devotees to the Shiva temple here during the Shivratri festival. A small waterfall nearby makes it an attractive picnic spot.
Kanyakumari
Just 87 kms from Trivandrum, Kanyakumari is the southernmost part of the Indian mainland. Here the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea converge. Kanyakumari has great religious importance for the Hindus. The place is devoted to the Goddess Devi Kanya, an incarnation of Parvati, Lord Shiva’s wife. Pilgrims visit the temple and bathe in the holy waters here. Another major tourist attraction here is the Vivekananda Memorial, built about 400 metres offshore. Swami Vivekananda meditated here in 1892 before embarking on a journey to introduce religious reforms throughout the country. The mandapam built in his memory here reflects architectural styles from all over the country.
Kovalam
16 kms away from Trivandrum lies Kovalam, an internationally renowned beach. The beach has been popular among tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. The beach offers plenty of leisure optionsicluding sunbathing, swimming and herbal body toning massages. Special cultural programmes are also held here. Kovalam was further developed as seaside resort by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). The beach complex includes the Ashoka Beach Resort, low-budget cottages, Ayurvedic health centres, shopping zones, and swimming pools.
Neyyar Dam
Located 32 km from Trivandrum, the Neyyar Dam is a popular picnic spot with a lake and a dam. One can enjoy boating in the lake formed by the dam across the NeyyarRiver. Apart from boating, one can also visit the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary has animals like elephants, tigers wild buffaloes, wild boar, porcupines and a variety of snakes. A crocodile breeding centre and a lion safari park are also near the dam site.
Things to do at Thiruvananthapuram: Apart from sight seeing, savour the natural beauty of the place. You can also go for picnics with your close friends or families in the various spots.
Best time to visit Thiruvananthapuram: October and November are the peak tourist season, as the climate remains pleasant.
How to go ?
By Air
The city has its own international airport which is well-connected with different cities across the globe. The airport has direct flights to major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin and Bangalore as well as has direct flights from Singapore, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Middle East cities.
By Train
The Trivandrum Central railway station is situated within the city and is well-linked with major Indian cities like New Delhi, Kokata, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati, Indore, Bangalore and many others.
By Bus
Trivandrum’s bus station is situated right next to the railway station. There are regular buses to nearby cities like Cochin, Bangalore, Madurai, Coimbatore and Chennai.
Where to stay ?
There are both government and non government accommodation facilities in Thiruvananthapuram.
Hotel Chaitram (KSTDC): +91-0471-2323485
Hotel Mascot: +91-0471-2318990
Greenland Lodging: +91- 0471- 232 3196
Hotel Chola International: +91- 0471- -2334334
Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.
