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Trivandrum City

Introduction

Thiruvananthapuram name is made from words- Thiru- Anantha-Puram which means "Home of Lord Ananatha". Anantha is name of the serpent on whose head Lord Vishnu or Padmanabha reclines according to Hindu mythological stories. At the center of the Trivandrum city is the huge temple of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple which has a great religious significance. It is considered among the richest temples in the world with its partially revealed assets worth US $ 19 million. Mahatma Gandhi once referred this city as "Evergreen City of India".

History

The records tell that the early rulers of Thiruvananthapuram were "Ays" but in the 10th century the city was taken over by rulers of "Venad" and Ays disappeared suddenly. Marthanda Varma is credited with the rise of modern Thiruvananthapuram who in 1745 shifted his capital from Padmanabhapuram to Thiruvananthapuram. As this city was now a capital city it grew in intellectual and artistic activities. But in 1684 the governing body was shifted from Umayamma Rani to British East India Company. In year 1834 the city set up its first English school and in 1839 its first general hospital. In early 20th century the city saw major social and political changes. After the independence of India in 1947, Travencore became a part of Indian Union and in 1956 Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Kerala state.

How to Get There

By Air : Thiruvananthapuram has its own international airport. You can get direct flights from major cities of India and abroad for Thiruvananthapuram.

By Train : Thiruvananthapuram is well connected by railways with all the major cities of India. Main railway station of Thiruvananthapuram is at Thampanoor from where trains depart for all major destinations in India.

By Road : Thiruvananthapuram is well connected with national highways. The main bus terminal from where the long distance buses leave is at Thampanoor.  You can get government run KSRTC buses in affordable fare price and there are private AC buses as well that you can choose to travel.

Trivandrum Temples in and around

Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple

: This temple is a world famous temple and is a center of attraction in Thiruvananthapuram city. Sree Padmanabhaswami temple is one of the 108 Divya Deshams located all over India. The principle deity here is Sree Padmanabhaswami Ananthsaynam, and for the same reason this city has got the name Thiru- Anantha- Puram, which means "Abode of Lord Anantha". This temple is counted among the world's richest temples, as its partially reveled assets amount to $ 19 million. Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple is open only for Hindus and has a dress code which is Dhoti for men and Sari for women. Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple is counted as famous Trivandrum Temples

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple

: It is a small ancient temple which is situated in Thiruvananthapuram. It is devoted to Attukal Devi, also called Attukal Amma. The temple is also known as "Sabarimala of Women" and on the day of annual Attukal Pongala festival women devotees come here in huge numbers.

Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple

: It is one of the most renowned Ganesha temples in Kerala. It is situated at a walking distance from Sree Padmanabhaswami temple. You can watch here 32 forms of Lord Ganesha inside the temple complex. Apart from Lord Ganesha, Lord Ayyappa, Durga, Nagaraja and Brahmarakhas are also worshipped here.

Hanuman Temple

: It is situated about 5 km away from Thiruvananthapuram in Palayam. Lord Hanuman Swamy temple is one of the main Hanuman temples in Kerala and on Tuesdays the temple complex is crowded by a large number of devotees.

Apart from these there are many more temples in Trivandrum like Gandhariamma Kovil temple, Parasuramaswami temple, Nemom Maha Ganpathy temple, Nemom Shiva temple, Ulloore Sree Subramanya Swami temple and other temples which are devoted to deities like Murugunswami, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and Hanuman.

Churches in and around Trivandrum

CSI Christ Church :

It was built in year 1859 and is the oldest church in Thiruvananthapuram. It is built in Gothic style and is a very impressive and elegant looking building. You can see the "The Good Shepherd" painting portrayed on stained glass windows here and the church walls are decorated with paintings of 12 close disciples of the Jesus.

Vettukad Church

: It was built in 1934 and is also known as Madre De Deus Church. This is one of the most famous churches of Thiruvananthapuram and is located around 3 km from the Shangumumhgham beach. The church celebrates 10 days long "Feast of Christ the King" festival which attracts devotees to Thiruvananthapuram in large numbers.

St. Antony Forane Church

: This Church is more than 400 year old and is located at Valiyathura town in Thiruvananathapuram. This Latin Church is thronged by devotees all year round. There are few more churches situated in Thiruvananthapuram like Metaar Memorial Church, St. Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral etc which are worth the visit.

Tourist Places in Trivandrum

Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

: This zoo was established in the year 1857. You can see a wide variety of animals, birds and reptiles at one place here. It also has a snake farm where you can watch a variety of snake species.

Kovalam Beach

: Kovalam Beach is about 16 km from the city and is one of the most sought after beaches in India. Coconut groves dotted around the beach give it an aura of serenity. The pristine waters of beach and the beauty of it attract both the domestic and the international travelers to its shores.

Padmanabhampuram Palace

: This palace belongs to the rulers of Travencore. Travencore remained a princely state for more than 400 years that included large parts of today's Kerala and some of Tamil Nadu's. It is situated around 65 Km from the city.

Neyyar Dam

: This Dam is situated about 32 Km away from Thiruvananthapuram city. It offers a panoramic view of mountains and lakes and people come here for picnic and weekend hangouts. A miniature wildlife sanctuary is also here and you can go for jungle safari or opt to enjoy boating in the crocodile farm.

Shangumumhgham Beach

: Shangumumhgham beach is one more tourist attraction of Thiruvananthapuram. It is always crowded with visitors because of the beauty of this place. You can enjoy water sports, relish some coconut water or watch the panoramic view of sun set on this beach.